OM  THE 

ANTIC 


To  the 


CIFIC 


LE 

PORT  ORCHARD 
GTON 


THE   AUTHOR. 


FROM  THE 

ATLANTIC 

to  the 

PACIFIC 


REMINISCENCES  OF  PIONEER  LIFE  AND 
TRAVELS  ACROSS  THE  CONTINENT,  FROM 
NEW  ENGLAND  TO  THE  PACIFIC  OCEAN, 
BY  AN  OLD  SOLDIER.  :  :  ALSO  A  GRAPHIC 
ACCOUNT  OF  His  ARMY  EXPERIENCES  IN 
THE  CIVIL  WAR.  : :  :  • 


By 

AARON  LEE 

Member  of  First  Minnesota  Infantry. 


Metropolitan   Press,   Printers,  Seattle 


COPYRIGHT    1915 

By 
AARON    LEE 


Price  $1.00 

Sent,   postage  paid,   to  any   address,   on  receipt  of  price 


ACADEMY 
PACIFIC 

HISTORY 


— 1 

Y  OP    I 

CO AST ) 
0*Y 


r 


INDEX 


Page. 

Preface     5 

Reminisences  of  Early  Life  in   New  England    7 

Wenham  Our  Native  Town 10 

Jack  and  the  Bear 11 

Sunday  in  New  England 13 

Shortstop   Johnny   and    the    Ground   Hog    17 

Pioneer  Life  in  the   West    19 

Chased    by    Wolves     22 

The     Pioneer    Preacher     24 

Pioneer    Life    in    Settling    Up    the    Country    25 

At    the    National    Encampment     27 

Flouring    Mills    of    Minneapolis     28 

Fort     Snelling     29 

Moved   to  Iowa    30 

Mormons  at  Mt.    Pisgah    31 

Attending    the    C.    E.    Convention   at    Boston    33 

Under  the  St.  Croix  River,  Visit  Toronto    36 

The    Thousand    Islands    40 

Niagara    Falls     41 

New    England     45 

Daniel    Webster's    Farm    47 

Hannah    Dustin    Monument     49 

C.    E.    Convention    at    Boston     52 

Faneuil   Hall 57 

The    Old    North    Church    59 

Bunker    Hill    Monument    60 

The    Public    Garden     60 

Endeavorers   Visit    Salem    62 

Seeing    the    Sights     65 

The  Old   Witch   House    67 

Salem   Witchcraft    69 

Gallows    Hill     70 

Hawthorne    House    71 

House  of  Seven  Gables    72 

Lincoln  Monument    73 

The     Tides      73 

The    Sea   Shore    75 

Attractions   Along   the   Coast    75 

The     Breakers 78 

The    Pilots     79 

Manchester   by   the   Sea    80 

The    Blind    Comrade    81 

Rockport 81 

Fishing   on  the  Atlantic  Ocean    82 

Caught  in  a  Storm  on  the  Atlantic 84 

Cape    Ann    87 

The  Devil's  Tracks  and  Den    88 

Visiting   in    the    Vicinity    of    Old   Home    90 

The   Myopia   Club    90 

The   Polo   Game  and   Shirt  Race    .                                                                   .  93 


Page. 

Visiting  the  Old  Home    94 

Visit  at  the   Cemetery    95 

Visit  at  My  Native  Town,  Wenham    97 

Eastern   Washington 100 

Shooting  Springs  and   the   Broncho 101 

Dead    Man's    Lake     103 

Prosperous  Towns  in  A'dams  County    105 

Mirage    and   Mountain    Sunset    106 

Western    Washington     107 

Seattle 109 

Puget   Sound    110 

Tacoma     Ill 

Puget  Sound  Navy  Yard  at  Bremerton    112 

Veterans'    Home     113 

The  Little   Church  Upon   the   Sound    115 

Moclips   on  the   Pacific   Coast    116 

Axioms,    Food    for    Thought    118 

A  Visit  in  the  Alberta  Country    121 

Veterans'    Home     122 

Pneumonia    Cure     122 

A    Chapter    to    the   Young    124 

Wanted     126 

Concluding    Remarks     127 

Reminiscences  of  Army  Life  in  the  Civil  War 129 

The  Breaking  Out  of  Civil  War 129 

Butler's    Journey    to    Washington     130 

The   Missing   Rail    131 

Watching  and  Waiting    132 

The  Indian  WTar  in  Minnesota    133 

Enlisting    for    Uncle    Sam     136 

Start  for  the   Front    137 

"Mine    Bottle    Tings"    138 

On  the  Potomac  River 139 

Sketch    of    Army    Life     142 

On    the    Skirmish    Line     148 

On    Guard    149 

Skirmishing      152 

Capture  of  Fort  and   Petersburg    155 

Capture  of  Richmond    159 

Conversed    With    Gen.    Grant     164 

The    Army    Telegraph    165 

Surrender    at    Appomattox     171 

A   Yankee   Trick    175 

Getting   the    Mail    176 

Slaves    Bought    and    Sold    178 

On    the    March     179 

Assassination    of    Lincoln    181 

Grand    Review    at    Washington     182 

Start    for    Louisville    184 

Arriving   at  St.    Paul  and   Home    186 

Conclusion — Is  There  a  God,   Heaven  or  Eternity?    188 


PREFACE 


In  prefacing  the  succeeding  pages  we  prefer  to 
write  only  a  few  lines,  referring  the  reader  to  the 
first  chapter  for  a  more  definite  introduction.  We 
write  from  experience,  and  in  that  light  we  will  at- 
tempt to  give  our  experience.  Starting  from  the 
earlier  years  of  boyhood,  from  our  New  England 
home  on  the  sea  coast  near  where  the  Puritans  land- 
ed, and  where  the  first  battles  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  were  fought  and  liberty  was  achieved  and  this 
nation  became  a  free  and  independent  peo- 
ple. While  yet  a  young  man  we  leave  behind  us  the 
home  of  our  childhood,  with  all  its  pleasant  sur- 
roundings, saying  good-bye  to  loving  friends  and 
the  pleasant  attractions  of  early  life.  Bidding 
adieu  to  the  rock-bound  coast  of  New  England,  the 
historic  battlefields  of  Bunker  Hill  and  Lexington, 
Faneuil  Hall,  the  ''Cradle  of  Liberty,"  with  all  their 
varied  associations  with  the  early  history  of  our 
country.  These  we  leave  all  behind  and  shape  our 
course  westward  towards  the  Pacific  Ocean,  for  we 
ever  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  rolling  waves 
of  the  two  oceans.  When  this  was  accomplished  we 


were  prompted  to  write  "From  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  by  an  Old  Soldier,"  where  we  have  at- 
tempted to  picture  to  the  minds  of  our  readers  the 
varied  observations  and  experiences  of  an  active 
and  eventful  life,  on  our  long  journey  from  ocean 
to  ocean,  giving  an  account  of  our  many  adven- 
tures and  experiences  of  Pioneer  life  in  the  West; 
also  an  extended  delineation  of  the  experiences  of 
our  army  life  as  a  member  of  the  First  Minnesota 
Infantry.  Hoping  that  these  pages  may  be  perused 
with  interest  and  profit,  especially  by  the  young 
people  in  whose  interest  we  were  prompted  to 
write  the  following  pages,  and  that  they  may  in- 
duce you  to  have  a  tendency  toward  a— 

"Laughing  heart  and  smiling  face  each  day, 
And  scatter  sunshine  all  along  the  way." 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER   I. 
Early  Life  in  New  England. 

Situated  upon  an  elevated  plateau  surrounded 
by  the  picturesque  scenery  of  the  hills  and  valleys 
that  added  much  to  the  beautiful  views  that 
were  ever  a  source  of  attraction  to  the  eye  of  the 
beholder,  stood  the  old  house  where  I  was  born.  It 
was  a  large  two-story  dwelling,  erected  soon  after 
the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  and  near  the  beautiful 
little  town  of  Wenham,  Massachusetts.  It  was 
the  joyous  retreat  of  several  generations  of  our 
family,  it  being  the  birthplace  of  my  father  and 
one  of  my  sons.  Here  I  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
on  Oct.  8th,  1832.  This  place  was  ever  held  in  high 
esteem  on  account  of  its  elevated  position  affording 
such  a  grand  and  beautiful  view  of  all  its  surround- 
ings. The  frame  of  both  house  and  barn  were  made 
of  very  heavy  timbers,  and  the  nails  used  in  their 
construction  were  hammered  into  shape  by  the 
blacksmith,  as  were  all  the  nails  used  for  building 
purposes  at  this  early  date  in  our  history.  This 
old-fashioned  house  was  built  after  the  old  Colonial 
style.  It  contained  four  large  rooms,  aside  from 
halls,  pantry  and  closets.  In  each  of  these  rooms 
was  a  large  brick  fireplace,  and  by  the  side  of  each 
of  these  was  a  large  brick  oven  in  which  the  larger 
part  of  the  family  cooking  was  done.  These  were 
generally  heated  on  Saturday,  when  a  good  supply 


8  FROM    THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

of  the  good  things  to  eat  were  placed  in  the  oven, 
aside  from  the  bread,  meat,  pies  and  cake ;  the  Puri- 
tan Sunday  dinner  was  never  overlooked.  Their 
favorite  dish,  brown  bread  and  baked  beans,  and 
Indian  suet  pudding  rarely  failed  to  be  on  the 
table  for  Sunday  dinner. 

Though  several  generations  have  passed  away, 
the  ancient  custom  still  prevails  almost  to  an  uni- 
versal extent  among  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of 
where  the  Pilgrims  landed. 

We  cannot  forget  the  pleasant  associations  con- 
nected with  the  old  kitchen,  with  its  glowing  fire 
upon  the  hearth,  sending  out  the  brilliant  light  and 
heat  to  the  joyous  family  circle.  How  we  listened 
with  eager  ears  and  earnest  attention  to  the  wonder- 
ful stories  of  Pioneer  life,  about  the  wild  animals 
and  Indians,  as  related  to  us  by  grandmother  as  she 
rocked  to  and  fro  in  front  of  the  fireplace,  snapping 
of  the  stitches  from  the  knitting  needles,  mingled 
with  the  glowing  sparks  amid  the  merry  hum  of 
the  tea  kettle  and  the  joyous  shouts  of  childhood  as 
we  watched  the  sparks  as  they  ascended  the 
great  chimney,  or  popped  the  corn  and  cracked  the 
nuts,  and  the  jokes  that  were  ever  prevalent  around 
the  old  fireside.  This  was  truly  joyous,  happy  child- 
hood. It  brings  a  thrill  of  sadness  when  we  con- 
sider that  all  the  living  witnesses  to  those  happy 
seasons  have  passed  away,  only  I  alone  am  left  to 
tell  the  tale.  Father,  mother,  grandmother,,  sister 
and  brother  have  passed  away  and  gone  to  their 
reward. 


FROM    THE    ATLANTIC    TO   THE    PACIFIC 

My  parents  were  James  and  Betsy  Lee,  my  mother 
being  a  native  of  England,  while  father  being  a  na- 
tive of  this  country,  was  of  English  descent.  It  was 
here  on  the  rock-bound  coast  of  New  England,  over- 
looking the  broad  Atlantic  with  its  picturesque 
scenery,  we  spent  our  boyhood  days  as  a  farmer 
boy,  attending  to  the  frequent  arduous  duties  of  the 
farm  during  the  summer  months,  and  attending 
the  common  school  during  the  winter,  securing  an 
education. 

We  well  remember  seeing  the  fields  of  grain  being 
cut  down  with  the  hand  sickle,  and  the  advent  of  the 
grain  cradle  when  it  appeared  in  use  in  our  vicin- 
ity. When  the  mowing  machine  came  it  was  a  won- 
der to  the  whole  farming  community,  and  the 
farmers  who  assembled  to  witness  its  operation, 
decided  it  an  undesirable  way  of  mowing  their  hay 
fields  by  a  majority  of  those  present  when  making 
its  first  trial  in  our  vicinity. 

When  we  look  back  to  the  agricultural  implements 
of  our  forefathers  and  compare  them  to  the  ones 
in  use  at  the  present  time  we  hardly  credit  we  are 
living  in  the  same  age.  It  verifies  to  us  the  one 
undeniable  fact  that  this  is  an  age  of  rapid  progress 
and  the  unexpected  is  what  is  constantly  taking 
place. 

My  paternal  grandfather  was  of  English  birth, 
coming  from  England  early  in  life.  At  the  age  of 
nine  years  he  commenced  the  life  of  a  sailor,  filling 
the  position  as  cook  and  cabin  boy  on  a  trading 
vessel  bound  for  the  West  Indies  Islands.  He  fol- 


10  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

lowed  the  seas  for  thirty  years,  visiting  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  foreign  ports  of  the  world,  and  became  a 
skillful  navigator  of  the  seas,  and  took  an  active 
part  in  guarding  the  coast  during  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

In  the  war  of  1812  he  was  one  of  the  number  to 
fit  out  a  vessel  that  engaged  in  the  privateer  busi- 
ness, and  captured  several  of  the  enemy's  ships  and 
cargos,  which  were  divided  among  the  crew  of 
privateers.  They  were  finally  captured  and  sent 
to  Canada  as  prisoners  of  war.  After  one  of  these 
captures  he  sent  home  what  at  that  time  was  con- 
sidered the  essentials  in  housekeeping— one  hogs- 
head each  of  sugar,  molasses  and  rum.  After  being 
imprisoned  for  nineteen  months  he  was  released  at 
the  close  of  the  war.  While  there,  in  drinking  from 
a  spring,  he  took  some  insects  in  his  stomach,  from 
which  he  died  after  two  years'  suffering  defying  the 
skill  of  all  physicians.  A  post  mortem  examination 
revealed  the  fact  that  they  were  in  a  separate  sac 
within  the  stomach,  that  was  greatly  enlarged,  from 
which  he  died. 

Wenham  Our  Native  Town. 

Incidents  often  occur  to  me  that  transpired  in 
my  boyhood  days.  I  believe  the  happenings  of  our 
early  days  when  our  associations  are  of  a  sunny 
nature  have  a  tendency  to  remain  on  memory's 
tablet  for  a  long  time  after  their  occurrence.  We 
were  always  proud  of  our  native  town,  Wenham. 
And  whenever  the  boys  of  adjoining  towns  attempt- 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC    TO   THE   PACIFIC  11 

ed  to  convince  us  that  their  town  was  a  little  the 
best,  we  would  repeat  to  them  the  following  lines: 

Marblehead  is  a  Rock  Bed, 
Salem  is  a  Shaggy, 
Beverly  is  a  Bean  Town, 
But  Wenham  is  a  Dandy. 

This  acted  as  a  clincher  and  usually  ended  in  a 
hearty  laugh. 

Strangers  often  spoke  of  its  beautiful  streets  and 
cozy  dwellings,  its  nice  shade  trees  and  its  grassy 
lawn  upon  the  square.  The  little  pond  near  the 
Vestry  where  the  frogs  used  to  hold  such  grand 
musical  concerts  during  the  summer  months  and  the 
girls  and  boys  enjoyed  it  as  a  skating  rink  in  the 
winter  season.  The  frogs  were  so  persistent  in 
holding  their  concerts  that  they  would  not  postpone 
them  on  account  of  a  meeting  being  held  in  the 
Vestry.  So  on  that  account  the  Vestry  was  re- 
moved to  a  new  location  where  the  music  of  the 
frogs  did  not  disturb  the  services. 

I  often  think  of  my  Native  Town 
As  the  Beauty  place  of  much  renown, 
And  ponder  why  I  should  ever  roam 
And  get  so  far  from  my  Native  Home. 

Jack  and  the  Bear. 

There  lived  in  our  school  district  and  attended 
school  a  colored  youth  by  the  name  of  Jack.  He 
was  an  apt  scholar— jolly,  kind,  good  natured,  gen- 
erous, exceedingly  witty  and  full  of  fun  and  a  gen- 
eral favorite  among  the  scholars.  He  frequently 


12  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

had  occasion  to  go  to  the  village  about  a  mile  away. 
The  tavern  was  kept  by  an  old  gentleman  who  went 
by  the  name  of  Squire  Thorn  who,  while  on  a  visit 
to  Vermont  brought  home  with  him  a  little  cub 
bear  that  was  as  playful  as  a  puppy  and  quite  an 
attraction,  especially  to  young  America.  He  grew 
very  fast  and  was  soon  a  large  bear.  He  had  to 
be  kept  chained,  for  he  would  sometimes  show  his 
wild  nature,  although  the  old  squire  would  handle 
him  as  he  would  a  dog.  He  used  to  lay  him  on  his 
back  and  drag  him  by  the  hind  legs.  The  bear 
seemed  to  greatly  enjoy  this  treatment  as  it  rubbed 
his  back  on  the  ground.  Jack  had  noticed  this. 
So,  one  time  when  at  the  village  he  thought  he 
would  show  his  generosity  by  imitating  the  Es- 
quire and  give  the  bear  a  friendly  rub.  The  bear 
was  chained  in  the  back  yard  with  a  stout  chain 
about  twenty  feet  in  length,  near  the  farther  end 
of  the  yard,  lying  stretched  out  sound  asleep.  Jack 
made  a  grab  for  his  legs.  Bruin  seemed  greatly 
surprised  when  he  saw  it  was  not  his  master,  and 
all  the  savage  nature  of  the  most  ferocious  beast 
of  the  forest  returned  to  him.  He  made  a  bound 
for  Jack,  whose  nimble  figure  was  out  of  reach 
though  the  race  across  the  yard  was  an  exciting  one. 
Jack  just  missed  a  blow  from  the  bear's  paw  that 
buried  itself  in  the  earth  just  as  he  got  out  of  his 
reach.  Jack  laughed  heartily  and  when  asked  what 
his  thoughts  were  when  the  bear  was  after  him, 
"I  thought,"  said  he,  "that  the  legs  must  save  the 
body  or  the  body  must  perish."  Jack  soon  went 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  13 

to  live  at  an  adjoining  city.  Several  years  after  he 
made  a  visit  to  his  friends  where  he  used  to  live, 
bringing  with  him  a  nice  white  young  lady  whom 
he  introduced  as  his  wife. 

Sunday  In  New  England. 

The  Pilgrims  left  their  native  land  not  only  for 
the  purpose  of  finding  a  home,  but  to  find  a  place 
where  they  could  worship  God  in  accordance  with 
their  own  views  and  not  be  dictated  to  or  interfered 
with  by  any  creed  or  denomination.  Their  views 
in  regard  to  the  Christian  Sabbath  were  very  strict 
in  regard  to  its  observance.  To  "Remember  the  Sab- 
bath day  and  keep  it  holy,"  was  in  accordance  with 
their  belief. 

My  parents  were  both  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  and  when  Sunday  came  all  unnec- 
essary labor  was  suspended  and  the  people  gener- 
ally were  interested  in  attending  public  worship. 
Preparation  was  made  on  the  preceding  day.  The 
great  brick  oven  was  heated  and  filled  with  the 
good  things  that  were  to  furnish  the  table  with  a 
bountiful  supply  for  the  next  few  days,  thus  doing 
away  with  all  cooking  on  Sunday.  Memory  takes 
me  back  to  these  pleasant  associations  when  the 
horse  was  hitched  to  the  wagon  and  father,  mother, 
sister  and  brother  joined  in  a  pleasant  ride  to 
church.  We  were  a  joyous,  happy  lot  as  we  smelled 
the  fragrant  flowers  along  our  pathway  and  lis- 
tened to  the  sweet  songsters  as  they  poured  forth 
their  notes  of  joy  from  the  fruit  trees  on  either 


14  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

side.  We  soon  cross  the  little  stream  that  was  al- 
ways a  source  of  attraction  and  pass  by  the  long 
row  of  beautiful  larch  trees  and  soon  come  to  the 
village  and  arrive  at  the  old  church.  The  people  are 
nocking  together,  some  on  foot,  some  in  wagons  and 
carriages.  The  wonderful  "one-hoss  shay"  was  there 
also.  A  little  box  about  10x12  inches  with  glass 
door  in  front,  hanging  by  the  side  of  the  door,  was 
always  a  source  of  attraction,  as  it  contained  the 
names  of  those  in  the  township  who  intended  to 
marry  after  two  weeks'  publishing  in  this  box,  the 
notice  reading  about  like  this: 

"Notice  is  hereby  given  that  James 
Brown  and  Martha  Day  of  Wenham  in- 
tend Marriage. 

Wenham,  June  10th,  1842.— 
Stephen  Dodge,  Town  Clerk." 

The  pulpit  was  a  high  structure  in  back  end  of  the 
great  church.  The  pews  were  nearly  square,  about 
7x9  feet,  with  seats  around  the  inside,  inclosed  all 
around,  also  door  that  buttoned  on  the  outside. 
Each  family  had  their  own  pew.  I  was  only  a 
little  boy  but  was  pleased  when  the  long  sermon 
ended,  for  I  really  did  not  like  to  be  confined  in 
so  small  a  place  and  was  anxious  for  the  nice  ride 
home.  On  our  way  items  of  interest  were  discussed, 
frequently  about  those  who  were  published  to  get 
married.  Marriage  in  those  days  was  a  real  bles- 
sing and  not  a  blessing  in  disguise.  They  seemed 
to  understand  their  worth  to  each  other.  This  re- 
minds me  of  three  preachers  who,  during  a  meet- 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC    TO   THE   PACIFIC  15 

ing  came  to  our  house  for  dinner.  Their  topic  was 
their  experience  in  marrying  couples  and  the  fees 
they  received.  One  stated  that  the  largest  fee  he 
ever  received  for  marrying  a  couple  was  ten  dol- 
lars. Another  said  he  had  never  received  over 
three  dollars.  The  other  said  he  generally  got  from 
one  to  two  dollars.  He  told  of  a  couple  who  came 
to  get  married.  After  the  ceremony  the  groom 
asked  him  how  much  he  charged.  He  told  him  he 
might  pay  him  what  he  thought  his  wife  was  worth 
to  him.  He  handed  him  a  quarter  and  they  all  went 
on  their  way  rejoicing. 

This  was  years  ago,  before  the  first  railroad  was 
built  through  that  part  of  the  country,  and  the 
old  four-horse  stage  coach  was  an  important  factor. 
How  eagerly  it  was  looked  for,  expecting  to  meet 
some  loving  friend  or  receive  the  long-looked-for 
letter  through  the  mail.  When  the  horn  tooted  all 
was  hum  and  bustle.  The  horses  generally  came 
in  on  the  full  run  and  drew  up  in  front  of  the  old 
tavern  where  the  foaming  horses  were  exchanged 
for  a  fresh  team.  While  this  was  being  done  the 
travelers  who  wished,  always  had  an  opportunity 
to  visit  the  bar  that  was  ever  kept  in  full  blast  and 
well  supplied  with  the  various  kinds  of  liquors  of 
those  times,,  new  and  West  Indies  rum  predominat- 
ing. Upon  the  advent  of  the  first  railroad  the  old 
stage  coach  ceased  to  travel  its  usual  route  and  the 
old  tavern  was  a  back  number.  The  little  old 
matrimonial  publishing  box  was  laid  aside  and  all 
that  was  necessary  was  for  the  lady  to  decide  in 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC    TO   THE   PACIFIC  17 

the  affirmative  and  the  parties  could  immediately 
get  married  without  any  further  preliminaries. 
Surely  time  brings  changes. 

Stop-Short  Johnny  and  the  Groundhog. 

The  incidents  and  associations  of  early  life  often 
come  to  our  memory  when  we  think  of  the  occur- 
rences of  the  past.  Things  that  occurred  when  a 
small  school  boy  often  carried  with  them  a  certain 
degree  of  merriment  that  tends  to  have  them  more 
firmly  fixed  in  our  memory.  I  remember  well  when 
father  came  home  with  a  new  horse.  He  was  of 
a  light  chestnut  color,  fat  and  sleek,  and  a  nice 
animal.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had  been  used 
for  a  while  to  run  a  spice  mill  and  had  been  broken 
to  brace  right  back  in  the  harness  in  order  to  stop 
the  mill.  Whenever  he  received  the  word  the  mill 
would  stop  suddenly.  That  acquired  habit  he  used 
to  perfection  ever  after.  On  one  occasion  when 
father  was  going  to  the  timber  and  we  were  going 
to  school  Johnny  was  hitched  before  the  sled,  as 
there  was  quite  a  body  of  snow  on  the  ground  and 
his  route  being  over  the  same  road  to  the  school- 
house.  We  found  it  quite  a  treat  to  get  a  nice 
ride  to  school.  In  passing  several  houses  we  found 
the  children  out  ready  for  a  ride  to  school,  so  we 
soon  had  a  jolly  load  of  boys  and  girls,  augmented 
by  another  lot  a  short  distance  before  we  reached 
the  schoolhouse.  There  being  no  box  on  the  sled, 
they  crowded  on,  some  sitting,  some  standing,  hold- 
ing on  to  the  stakes.  "Stopshort  Johnny"  was 


18  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

going  at  a  lively  gait  as  we  approached  the  school- 
house.  Father  looked  around  smiling  with  a  merry 
twinkle  in  his  eye  and  says,  "Don't  any  of  you 
jump  off;  I  will  stop  for  you  to  get  off."  Just 
then  he  gave  sharply  the  word  "whoa."  It  was  so 
suddenly  obeyed  that  there  was  a  lively  heap  of 
girls  and  boys,  dinner  pails  and  books,  mingled 
with  peals  of  laughter  from  the  struggling  mass  in 
the  snow  on  each  side  of  the  sled.  It  was  one  of 
father's  jokes,  though  he  seemed  surprised  that 
they  got  off  so  quickly.  He  enjoyed  it  and  laughed 
heartily  with  the  rest.  Another  incident  occurred 
in  which  Johnny,  a  groundhog  and  I  were  the  prin- 
cipal actors.  Johnny  was  a  nice  riding  nag  and  I 
frequently  rode  him  short  distances.  Being  out  on 
one  of  these  trips,  when  returning  I  came  through 
the  field  and  pasture,  following  a  track  not  very 
much  used,  and  crossing  a  small  stream  at  a  ford 
about  two  rods  wide,  the  water  being  about  a  foot 
in  depth  at  the  deepest  part,  running  over  a  fine 
gravel  bottom.  As  we  approached  the  stream  I 
saw  a  nice  groundhog  some  ten  or  twelve  rods  from 
his  hole  where  he  lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
stream  and  could  easily  capture  him  if  I  got  there 
first.  So  Johnny  started  on  the  full  run.  When  we 
got  to  the  stream  he  wanted  to  drink,  so  he  put  in 
one  of  his  "stop  shorts"  and  I  went  over  his  head, 
alighting  in  the  water  like  a  frog.  The  groundhog 
got  safely  into  his  home,  Johnny  got  a  good  drink 
and  I  got  a  cold  bath. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  19 


The  Beautiful  Flowers. 

The  lovely  flowers,  how  grand  they  are  to  view, 

Like  friendship's  tie  that  is  ever  tried  and  true, 

They  scatter  lovely  sunshine  all  along  the  way, 

And  all  gloomy  sorrows  turn  to  a  brighter  day. 

We  view  the  forests,  rivers,  mountains,   lakes  and   seas, 

But  their  beauty  and  fragrance  vie  with  all  of  these. 

God's  grateful  love  and  blessings  around  us  pour. 

Then  why  not  be  true  and  try  to  love  Him  more? 


CHAPTER  II. 
Pioneer  Life  In  the  West. 

After  attaining  the  age  of  manhood,  during  the 
winter  of  1854,  we  heard  a  lecture  that  was  given 
by  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.,  of  Boston.  His  subject  was 
the  Great  West.  We  were  deeply  impressed  with 
the  statements  he  then  gave  of  the  West  and  we 
fully  decided  in  our  own  mind  that  we  would  see 
some  of  the  famous  country  that  he  so  nicely  pic- 
tured to  us,  and  we  concluded  to  comply  with  the 
advice  that  was  afterward  given  by  Horace  Greely, 
"Go  West,  young  man."  Accordingly,  in  the  spring 
of  1855,  my  cousin  and  myself  concluded  we  would 
leave  the  crowded  State  of  Massachusetts  and  start 
for  a  more  sparsely  settled  country,  where  land  was 
good  and  cheap  and  make  us  a  home.  We  pur- 
chased tickets  to  Chicago  and  then  found  that  Dun- 
leith,  111.,  was  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  going 
west.  Learning  there  was  no  stage  going  in  our  di- 
rection, we  started  out,  traveling  the  most  of  the  way 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC    TO   THE   PACIFIC  21 

on  foot,  until  we  reached  Mower  county,  Minnesota, 
where  we  filed  on  a  quarter  section  of  Uncle  Sam's 
land  that  was  then  subject  to  preemption.  At  this 
time  the  land  was  untaken  all  around  us,  but  soon 
the  settlers  began  to  come  in  and  select  land  for 
their  homes.  At  this  time  the  Indians,  deer,  wild 
ducks  and  prairie  chickens  were  plentiful.  Wild 
pigeons  also  nested  in  the  timber  and  traversed  the 
country  in  enormous  flocks,  nearly  excluding  the 
light  of  the  sun.  It  afforded  us  much  pleasure  in 
hunting  the  wild  game  that  was  so  plentiful  along 
the  beautiful  little  stream  that  coursed  its  way 
through  the  timber  some  three  miles  distant,  and 
across  one  corner  of  the  land  that  I  had  selected 
for  my  farm. 

In  traveling  out  one  day  I  met  two  men.  One 
was  armed  with  a  gun  and  axe,  the  other  carried 
a  two-gallon  jug  and  spade.  He  said  they  had  just 
arrived,  having  driven  through  from  Michigan, 
driving  five  horses  and  one  yoke  of  oxen  attached 
to  two  wagons  heavily  loaded  with  household  ef- 
fects and  his  wife  and  six  children.  He  was  a 
real  Englishman,  said  he  was  looking  for  a  place 
to  make  a  'ome  and  wished  to  know  where  there 
was  a  chance  to  get  some  "hoats"  for  the  "  'orses." 
He  also  wanted  to  know  if  there  was  any  show  for 
his  children  to  attend  school.  Minnesota  was  then 
a  territory  and  little  provision  was  made  for 
schools.  I  told  him  if  only  a  few  such  families  as 
his  came  in  we  would  soon  have  enough  children 
for  a  school.  "Yes,"  said  he,  "the  children  would 


22  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

be  here,  but  where  could  we  find  a  teacher  T'  I 
jokingly  told  him,  if  no  one  else  would  teach  them 
1  would.  "On  that  condition,"  said  he,  "I  will 
build  my  house  on  the  quarter  section  next  to 
yours."  He  did  so  and  soon  other  families  moved 
in  and  we  called  a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing a  schoolhouse  and  locating  a  site  for  the  same. 
I  donated  one  acre  on  one  corner  of  my  land  for 
the  site  and  held  my  first  office  as  clerk  of  school 
board.  A  nice  log  schoolhouse  soon  went  up,  fur- 
nished ready  for  school.  One  day  soon  after  the 
genial  Englishman  came  around,  telling  me  that 
the  wish  of  the  settlers  was  that  I  should  fulfill  my 
promise  I  had  made  to  him  in  regard  to  teaching 
their  school.  I  could  not  readily  refuse,  although 
it  came  rather  unexpected  to  me  to  be  a  teacher  in 
the  schoolroom.  And  I  can  look  back  with  a  feeling 
of  pride  when  I  learned  that  a  goodly  number  of 
my  scholars  had  crowned  their  lives  with  success 
and  some  had  grown  to  be  really  prominent  in  civil 
life.  We  had  previously  married  and  established 
in  our  little  log  cabin  a  pleasant  and  happy  home. 
Our  labors  were  sometimes  arduous  in  the  opening 
and  clearing  of  a  new  farm  and  getting  it  into  a 
state  of  cultivation.  But  the  trivial  burdens  of  life 
are  a  pleasure,  when  our  uppermost  thought  is  that 
we  are  working  for  the  upbuilding  of  a  home  and 
in  the  interest  of  those  we  love. 

A  Lonely  Ride. 

It  was  in  early  winter  while  my  dear  wife  was 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 


23 


away  on  a  few  days'  visit  to  her  father's  home  that 
I  had  an  occasion  to  go  to  the  county  seat,  28 
miles  away.  I  started  in  the  morning  on  horse- 
back, expecting  to  return  before  dark,  and  arrived 
there  about  mid-day.  Being  delayed  in  getting  my 
business  transacted  I  did  not  get  started  back  until 
nearly  sundown.  Some  of  my  friends  there  ad- 
vised me  to  stop  all  night  and  not  think  of  going 
back  over  the  lonely  prairie  after  dark.  I  had  left 
stock  that  would  need  attention  and  I  had  arranged 
to  be  back  that  night  and  started  homeward.  Dark- 
ness overtook  us  when  on  the  edge  of  the  settlement 
some  six  or  seven  miles  from  the  town. 


CHASED   BY  WOLVES. 

From  this  point  for  the  next  fifteen  miles  there 
was  no  settlement  or  building  of  any  kind.  The 
route  lay  across  the  smooth  level  prairie,  burned 
over.  It  being  traveled  but  a  very  little  it  was  dif- 
ficult to  discern  the  slight  track  after  darkness  had 
surrounded  us.  I  had  great  confidence  in  the  fa- 
vorite mare  that  I  rode,  for  I  had  frequently  rode 
her  across  many  miles  of  trackless  prairie  and  she 
would  always  follow  the  same  track  homeward.  So 


24  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

I  always  after  dark  let  her  do  the  guiding.  After 
riding  about  five  miles  from  the  last  settlement 
there  was  a  nice  little  stream  that  was  skirted  with 
quite  a  growth  of  timber.  After  crossing  this 
stream  my  animal  seemed  to  be  uneasy  and  act 
frightened.  I  looked  at  my  right  and  saw  that  some 
large  animal  was  following  us.  Thinking  it  might 
be  a  dog  I  gave  a  loud  shout,  but  it  did  not  scare 
a  bit.  I  then  realized  the  fact  that  we  were  fol- 
lowed by  large  timber  wolves  and  without  any 
weapon  to  defend  ourselves  I  felt  alarmed,  and 
wished  I  had  my  old  shooter.  The  next  ten  miles 
distance  was  covered  in  a  wonderfully  short  time, 
with  the  wolves  generally  in  the  rear;  when  slack- 
ening our  pace  they  would  be  on  the  side  that  blew 
the  scent  from  us  to  them.  A  bright  light  was 
burning  at  the  first  house  we  reached  and  as  that 
shone  out  into  our  faces  the  wolves  gave  one  vig- 
orous howl  and  took  their  departure.  Wolves  were 
quite  prevalent  in  that  vicinity  at  that  time,  espe- 
cially the  kind  known  as  the  prairie  wolves.  It  was 
my  good  fortune  to  capture  nine  of  them  during  one 
winter.  The  state  paid  ten  dollars  bounty  on  them 
for  a  while  on  account  of  their  being  so  destructive 
to  sheep  and  other  young  stock. 

The  Pioneer  Preacher. 

Attending  the  church  meetings  was  what  the 
early  settlers  took  much  pleasure  in  doing.  It  was 
really  an  attractive  sight  to  see  a  large  load  of  per- 
sons, mostly  ladies,  seated  on  the  bottom  of  the  long 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE    PACIFIC 

wagon  box  that  was  set  upon  the  large  wagon, 
hauled  by  a  stout  pair  of  oxen.  Their  good  nature 
and  jovial  conversation  made  it  largely  imitate  an 
old-fashioned  sewing  society  that  prevailed  in  the 
eastern  states.  A  primitive  log  cabin  that  was  used 
as  a  tavern  was  used  as  a  place  for  the  early  set- 
tlers to  hold  their  meetings  on  Sunday.  The  preach- 
er was  on  time  and  ready  to  hold  services.  The 
landlord  said  now  the  preacher  had  come  they  must 
have  some  meat,  so  he  took  down  his  rifle  and  start- 
ed out  to  get  some  game,  returning  before  the  meet- 
ing was  over  with  a  nice  fat  deer.  The  preacher 
was  an  eloquent,  earnest  worker  on  the  farm  as  well 
as  011  the  rostrum. 

If  the  room  or  the  weather  was  warm,  off  would 
come  his  coat,  which  showed  it  had  seen  hard  serv- 
ice, and  would  soon  have  to  be  replaced,  for  he, 
like  many  of  his  hearers,  was  in  straightened  cir- 
cumstances financially.  When  spoken  to  in  regard 
to  his  pay  for  his  services  he  answered,  "Get  me  a 
coat  and  I  will  preach  for  you  all  summer."  The 
next  meeting  the  preacher  had  a  new  coat.  This 
was  one  of  the  good  pioneer  preachers  who  did  not 
concern  himself  so  much  about  his  salary  as  he  did 
for  the  saving  of  souls  and  the  welfare  of  the 
people. 

Settling  Up  the  Country— Pioneer  Life. 

A  great  change  came  over  that  country  after  the 
settlers  came  flocking  in.  At  the  time  we  first  saw 
it,  it  was  an  unbroken  forest  or  an  uncultivated 


26  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

prairie.  Now  has  sprung  up  nice  villages  and 
towns.  Thrifty  farmers  till  the  soil,  nice  dwellings, 
groves  and  fields  and  beautiful  homes  are  estab- 
lished all  over  what  was  then  an  uninhabited  region. 
We  have  a  warm  place  in  our  heart  for  Minnesota, 
for  it  was  here  that  we  first  commenced  a  pioneer 
life  and  an  independent  one,  while  that  state  was 
still  a  territory.  It  was  here  that  we  first  built 
our  log  cabin  and  established  a  home.  Here  we 
helped  rear  the  first  schoolhouse  and  our  first  church 
in  our  midst.  We  gave  a  helping  hand  in  their 
erection,  and  we  can  look  back  with  pleasure  when 
we  review  the  pleasant  associations  that  were  ever 
transpiring  wrhen  we  were  engaged  in  opening  ami 
settling  up  a  new  country,  when  the  elk,  the  deer 
and  the  Indians  were  numbered  among  our  frequent 
attractions.  While  here  there  was  organized  a  mili- 
tary company  known  as  the  Home  Guards,  mustered 
in  by  Captain  Asa  Way.  We  took  much  pride  in 
drilling  and  learning  the  manual  of  arms,  little 
dreaming  we  were  only  just  laying  the  foundation 
of  our  military  education  that  we  afterward  found 
to  be  useful  to  us,  when  we  shouldered  the  musket 
and  entered  the  service  as  a  real  soldier  for  Uncle 
Sam. 


FROM    THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  27 


CHAPTER  III. 
At  the  National  Encampment. 

It  was  our  pleasure  to  attend  the  National  En- 
campment at  St.  Paul  in  the  year  1895,  and  we 
wrote  for  our  home  paper  the  following  account  of 
what  we  saw  while  there: 

"Mr.  Editor:  Believing  it  might  be  of  interest  to  your 
readers  to  hear  something  more  in  regard  to  what  we  saw 
on  our  trip  to  the  soldiers'  encampment  at  St.  Paul,  we 
propose  to  give  a  slight  description  of  a  few  of  the  most 
important  attractions  that  came  to  our  notice.  We  could 
but  notice  the  growth  and  improvement  of  the  two  great 
cities,  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  during  the  past  thirty-one 
years.  They  then  appeared  as  villages,  while  today  the 
former  numbers  over  170,000,  and  the  latter  more  than 
200,000  inhabitants.  The  thrift  and  activity  of  its  in- 
habitants may  be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  they  so 
largely  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  the  essentials  to 
support  life  and  comfort  to  mankind,  the  manufacture 
and  sale  of  flour  and  lumber  being  the  leading  industries 
of  these  large  cities.  Taking  the  electric  car  at  St.  Paul, 
our  destination  being  Central  Station,  Minneapolis, 
twelve  miles  distant,  we  traverse  nearly  the  same  route 
we  once  did  while  in  the  employ  of  Uncle  Sam,  but  how 
changed!  It  was  then  ornamented  with  the  wild  grasses 
and  flowers  of  the  prairies  in  a  state  of  nature,  now  a 
continuous  street,  decorated  with  pleasant  and  happy 
homes  in  a  thrifty  growing  city.  The  division  between  the 
Twin  Cities  is  now  marked  by  a  more  sparsely  settled 
street  for  a  short  distance.  Near  this  point  on  the  left 
could  be  seen  the  tented  city,  Camp  Mason,  where  some 
12,000  of  the  old  soldiers  once  more  took  a  taste  of  army 
life  by  sleeping  on  the  ground,  meeting  their  old  comrades, 
reviewing  army  scenes,  relating  incidents  of  the  past,  and 
enjoying  camp  life,  though  many  of  the  old  soldiers 
largely  preferred  the  school  houses  of  St.  Paul  that  had 
their  furniture  removed  and  were  supplied  with  mattresses 
for  their  use. 


28  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

"We  could  but  notice  the  large  number  of  saloons  in 
full  blast  in  these  two  cities,  seeming  to  outnumber  even 
the  grocery  stores.  These  saloons  seemed  to  make  an 
extra  effort  in  decorating  for  this  occasion,  having  an 
abundance  of  flags,  banners,  pictures  and  mottoes  to  make 
them  attractive. 

MINNEHAHA  FALLS. 

"We  next  visited  the  Minnehaha  Falls.  This  is  an 
attractive  point  and  a  fine  summer  resort.  A  fine  stream 
of  water  falling  in  a  thin  sheet  some  thirty  feet  into  a 
deep  basin  below  makes  a  very  beautiful  appearance. 

"The  Old  Soldiers  Home  is  located  not  far  from  this 
place  near  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  River,  composed 
of  a  fine  lot  of  substantial  brick  buildings  that  are  an 
honor  to  the  State  in  providing  so  beautful  a  home  for 
the  old  soldiers  who  are  in  need  of  it. 

FLOURING    MILLS    OF    MINNEAPOLIS. 

"We  next  visited  the  flouring  mill  of  the  Consolidated 
Milling  Co.,  and  were  kindly  welcomed  and  shown  through 
the  large  mills.  This  company  has  five  of  these  mills, 
each  mill  has  ninety  sets  of  rollers  and  turns  out  daily 
2700  barrels  of  flour  to  each  mill.  After  the  wheat  is 
steamed  it  goes  through  no  less  than  seven  or  eight  sets 
of  these  rollers  before  it  is  finished.  Every  half  hour 
samples  of  the  three  grades  of  flour  made  here  is  mixed 
with  water  and  placed  upon  a  piece  of  glass  and  baked 
in  an  oven  heated  by  electricity,  and  in  this  state  any 
defect  in  it  can  be  readily  discovered.  The  lower  floor 
is  a  busy  place,  being  on  a  level  with  the  cars  that  stand 
at  the  door  and  are  being  loaded.  They  were  on  that  day 
filling  an  order  for  England,  the  flour  being  put  in  jute 
sacks  holding  280  pounds  each. 

"We  afterwards  visited  the  Pillsbury  mill.  This  is  a 
monster  mill  doing  an  immense  business,  making  an 
average  of  9000  barrels  of  flour  daily — claiming  to  make 
more  flour  than  any  other  two  mills  on  the  globe.  Its 
greatest  day's  work  was  10,783  barrels.  It  has  eighteen 
run  of  large  burrs  and  400  rollers — the  whole  machinery 
being  driven  by  water  power  except  when  ice  makes  the 
water  scarce,  then  steam  power  is  used.  The  river  run- 
ning through  the  city  has  a  fall  of  eighty-five  feet,  furnish- 
ing one  of  the  greatest  water  powers  on  earth. 

"Several  saw  mills  do  a  large  business.  They  use  the 
band  saw  that  is  fifty  feet  in  length  and  rims  with  great 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  29 

velocity,  requiring  but  a  few  seconds  to  go  through  the 
largest  log.  By  means  of  carriers,  run  by  power,  the 
logs  rapidly  follow  each  other  from  the  river  up  to  the 
saw  where  they  are  squared,  the  slabs  passing  to  the 
shingle  and  lath  saws,  while  the  log  goes  to  the  gang 
saw  that  contains  forty  saws  and  is  quickly  converted 
into  lumber.  This  mill  cuts  300,000  feet  daily  aside  from 
making  between  sixty  and  seventy  thousand  lath  and 
shingles. 

FORT  SMELLING. 

"Taking  the  street  railway  car  at  St.  Paul  for  Fort 
Snelling,  six  miles  distance,  we  travel  through  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city  and  through  the  rural  districts,  passing 
many  beautiful  homes  until  we  reach  the  terminus  of  the 
route,  by  the  side  of  the  river  opposite  the  Fort.  There 
was  nothing  about  here  that  seemed  any  more  conspicuous 
than  the  gorgeously  arranged  saloon,  made  attractive  by 
the  great  display  of  flags,  banners,  pictures,  mottoes,  bot- 
tles and  glasses,  with  the  busy  bartender  who  seemed 
anxious  to  make  sales  to  a  thirsty  crowd.  We  presume 
any  old  soldier  could  get  a  drink  here  if  he  was  properly 
identified. 

"We  now  cross  the  father  of  waters  upon  a  substantial 
bridge  180  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  stream  the  banks 
being  very  high  and  steep,  and  soon  land  inside  Fort 
Snelling.  This  place  is  somewhat  romantic  to  the  old 
soldier,  for  here  was  where  we  were  first  initiated  and 
took  our  first  lessons  in  the  manual  of  arms  as  a  soldier. 
It  was  here  we  became  accustomed  to  the  soldier's  fare 
of  hard  tack  and  coffee,  and  made  the  exchange  from  the 
feather  bed  to  the  soft  side  of  a  pine  board  to  sleep  on. 
It  was  here  so  many  fathers,  mothers,  brothers,  sisters 
and  sweethearts  met  and  bid  each  other  their  last  good 
bye,  many  of  them  never  to  meet  again  on  earth.  Memory 
of  these  scenes,  as  they  flash  before  us,  seemed  to  be  a 
reopening  of  a  leaf  in  the  history  of  the  past.  The  old 
parade  ground  had  lost  its  familiar  appearance.  The  old 
buildings  were  gone  and  replaced  by  some  half  a  dozen 
fine  stone  buildings,  only  the  two  forts  remained.  These 
were  built  in  1820  and  were  still  well  preserved.  These  are 
some  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  hexigon  shape,  two  stories 
in  height,  provided  with  loop  holes  suitable  for  artillery 
below  and  for  musketry  above.  These  are  situated  upon 
the  verge  of  the  plateau  or  parade  ground  where  the  river 
circles  around  more  than  a  hundred  feet  below.  The  banks 


30  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

against  the  river  are  surmounted  by  a  heavy  stone  wall 
some  three  feet  in  height.  Adjoining  at  different  points 
stand  two  twelve  pound  brass  rifled  cannon,  sedately  wait- 
ing, ready  to  speak  when  directed. 

"We  notice  the  absence  of  the  old  prison  house  in  which 
was  incarcerated  the  famous  Indian  chief,  Little  Crow, 
with  one  of  his  companions.  When  we  gazed  into  the 
prison,  he  gave  us  one  look  of  about  three  seconds,  tha' 
seemed  to  be  enough  as  he  would  not  turn  his  eyes  toward 
us  any  more.  We  noticed  he  served  the  rest  about  the 
same  way,  he  did  not  like  to  gaze  on  soldiers.  There  were 
many  comments  made  by  the  soldiers  for  these  culprits 
were  engaged  in  the  cruel  Indian  war  upon  the  settlers 
wherein  a  large  number  of  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  Ulm,  Minn.,  were  ruthlessly  murdered  and  a  large 
amount  of  property  burned  and  destroyed.  Many  of  the 
captured  Indians  were  hanged  and  why  Little  Crow  did 
not  receive  the  same  fate,  remains  a  mystery,  as  he 
acknowledged  having  taken  the  scalps  of  more  than  a 
score  of  the  whites.  They  were  kept  in  prison  for  a  long 
time  with  a  ball  and  chain  attached  to  the  ankle.  When 
they  were  taken  out  for  exercise  they  were  in  charge  of 
the  guards.  Sometimes  the  lot  would  fall  to  those  who 
had  lost  their  friends  in  the  cruel  raid  by  these  fiends.  In 
one  case  the  soldier  was  the  only  one  of  a  large  family 
that  had  escaped  their  tomahawks.  Of  course  there  was 
a  large  supply  of  Indian  hatred  among  the  guards  and  they 
used  every  effort  to  induce  Little  Crow  to  start  out  on  a 
run  considering  it  a  reasonable  excuse  to  shoot  him,  and 
without  doubt  he  would  have  got  a  bullet  immediately  if  he 
had  attempted  it,  but  he  was  too  cunning  to  do  so.  He 
was  afterward  released  from  his  imprisonment  when  he 
returned  to  his  tribe  and  became  their  chief. 

"Near  by  we  notice  a  little  village  in  which  dwells  the 
officers  and  their  families  and  all  the  others  connected 
with  the  Fort.  There  are  500  soldiers  quartered  here, 
while  the  other  connections  swell  the  number  to  2,500 
altogether." 

Moved  to  Iowa. 

After  a  sojourn  of  about  20  years  in  the  State  of 
Minnesota  we  moved  to  the  State  of  Iowa,  Union 
County,  where  we  engaged  in  farming,  fruit  raising 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  31 

and  bee  keeping.  At  this  time  we  can  look  back 
with  pleasant  reflections  as  we  review  in  memory 
the  many  pleasant  associations  that  yet  cling  to 
us  as  we  seemingly  take  a  glimpse  of  the  faces  and 
forms  of  our  associates  with  whom  we  were  ac- 
quainted in  those  years  that  we  so  pleasantly  passed 
during  our  sojourn  in  this  grand  and  noble  State. 

Iowa  has  many  attractions  for  the  agriculturist 
and  the  stockman,  and  the  kind  and  friendly  wel- 
come with  which  the  stranger  is  received  adds  to 
the  charms  of  life  a  reality  of  more  value  than  silver 
or  gold. 

Mormons  at  Mt.  Pisgah. 

Union  County  has  the  record  of  being  the  home 
of  the  Mormons  after  they  left  their  old  home  at 
Nauvoo,  Illinois.  Having  incurred  the  enmity  of 
the  citizens,  their  leader  was  captured  and  killed  in 
1846,  after  which  the  whole  colony  took  up  their 
abode  in  Union  County,  Iowa,  where  they  settled 
upon  a  beautiful  tract  of  land  near  the  banks  of 
Grand  River.  This  elevated  plain  having  a  very 
conspicuous  view  of  the  surroundnig  country,  was 
named  Mt.  Pisgah.  The  country  at  the  time  was 
inhabited  by  wild  animals  and  Indians  that  were 
destined  to  roam,  rarely  molested  by  the  onward 
march  of  civilization.  About  this  time  Uncle  Billy 
Locke  moved  into  and  made  settlement  in  the  coun- 
ty, he  being  the  first  white  settler  to  take  up  his 
abode  in  Union  County.  It  was  with  much  suffering 
that  the  Mormons  endured  the  hardships  of  a  pio- 


32  FROM    THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

neer  life  and  during  their  short  stay  here  a  large 
number  of  their  colony  died  before  they  took  up 
their  present  location  at  Salt  Lake.  A  beautiful 
monument  has  been  erected  to  the  memories  of  those 
who  died  at  Mt.  Pisgah.  This  is  erected  upon  a 
prominent  eminence  having  an  unobstructed  view 
from  the  surrounding  country,  and  will  ever  cherish 
and  keep  in  remembrance  those  who  gave  their 
lives  to  their  cause  while  in  Union  County. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  33 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Attending  the  C.  E,  Convention  at  Boston. 

While  living  on  our  farm  in  Union  County,  Iowa, 
in  the  summer  of  1895,  we  were  chosen  as  a  dele- 
gate to  attend  the  Christian  Endeavor  Convention 
held  at  Boston.  Accordingly  on  the  morning  of  the 
fifth  of  July  we  started  on  our  journey.  We  made  a 
short  stop  at  Ottumwa  to  visit  friends  and  had  a 
short  and  interesting  visit  and  a  friendly  romp  with 
the  little  grandchildren,  after  which  we  started  on 
the  midnight  train  and  arrived  in  Chicago  at  7 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  There  were  in  our  com- 
pany quite  a  number  of  Endeavorers  who  were 
waiting  to  take  the  train  for  Boston,  constituting  a 
jolly,  happy  company.  Upon  our  arrival  at  the 
Union  Depot,  Chicago,  we  learned  that  we  would 
have  to  wait  eight  hours  before  our  train  was  ready 
to  take  us  on  our  journey  toward  Boston.  During 
this  interval  we  availed  ourselves  of  the  opportu- 
nity of  visiting  some  of  the  attractions  of  the  city. 
We  found  that  Chicago  had  made  a  wonderful 
change  since  we  first  saw  it  forty  years  before.  It 
was  then  a  mere  hamlet  in  comparison  to  what  it 
is  today.  The  height,  symmetry  and  beauty  of  some 
of  its  buildings  are  truly  wonderful  to  gaze  upon. 

Taking  the  trolley  car  we  visited  Lincoln  Park, 
six  miles  away,  our  journey  being  made  the  entire 
distance  through  the  densely  populated  city,  thus 


34  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

affording  an  opportunity  of  seeing  much  of  city 
life  and  noting  the  thrifty  and  industrious,  mingled 
with  the  shiftless  and  vagrants  that  make  up  the 
population  of  a  great  city.  Upon  arriving  at  the 
park  the  first  visit  was  made  to  a  large  stone  build- 
ing. Here  were  gathered  a  large  collection  of  the 
curiosities  of  the  world,  varying  in  size  from  the 
great  mastodon,  13  feet  in  height,  found  in  Wash- 
ington when  that  State  was  a  territory,  the  ele- 
phant, lions,  tigers,  bears,  and  specimens  of  nearly 
all  the  wild  animals  found  in  the  known  world, 
varying  in  size  from  the  elephant  down  to  the  little 
white  mouse.  Among  the  feathered  tribe  were 
found  myriads  of  specimens,  from  the  great  os- 
trich to  the  little  humming  bird,  also  every  spe- 
cies of  the  insect  tribe  with  thousands  of  other 
curiosities  that  were  carefully  arranged  for  the  in- 
spection of  the  visitors  that  were  ever  finding  some- 
thing of  interest  in  the  museum.  We  next  visited 
the  cages  of  the  living  wild  animals.  Here  we 
found  a  large  variety,  elephants,  lions,  tigers,  leop- 
ards, white,  black  and  cinnamon  bears,  deer,  elk, 
buffalo  that  once  roamed  wild  over  our  prairies. 
There  were  also  many  attractive  little  ones,  the 
young  of  the  above  classes  of  animals,  aside  from 
many  others  of  the  smaller  variety  of  animals.  Next 
we  came  to  the  beautiful  flowers.  Here  were  four 
acres  arranged  in  plats  and  were  now  in  full  bloom. 
They  were  nodding  their  heads  and  sending  out 
their  fragrance  from  the  crimson,  the  blue,  the 
white,  the  yellow,  the  pink,  all  the  variegated  colors 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  35 

seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in  making  the  best 
appearance  in  filling  their  mission  in  life.  Foun- 
tains were  constantly  playing  among  the  flowers  and 
cages  of  the  animals  that  cooled  the  air  and  formed 
a  delightful  scene. 

A  beautiful  monument  is  erected  here  to  the 
memory  of  General  Grant.  He  is  on  horseback, 
the  horse  standing  upon  a  granite  base.  It  is  a 
lifelike  and  imposing  picture  that  the  old  soldiers 
like  to  look  upon.  General  Logan's  monument  of 
bronze  is  a  nice  representation  of  the  General.  As 
the  old  soldiers  gather  around  these  monuments 
they  like  to  discuss  the  actions  and  merits  of  these 
old  warriors.  The  old  soldiers  may  never  expect 
an  imposing  monument.  Their  monument  is  a  monu- 
ment of  fame  engraved  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
American  people. 

We  left  Chicago  on  the  afternoon  train,  running 
on  the  Grand  Trunk  railway,  toward  Boston.  We 
passed  through  the  great  city  of  Chicago.  As  we 
neared  the  outskirts  of  the  city  the  grand  struc- 
tures that  were  seen  on  every  hand  gradually  grew 
more  scattering  until  we  reached  the  rural  districts 
with  the  broad  prairies  dotted  here  and  there  with 
the  rural  mansions  of  the  agricultural  classes. 

At  this  place,  as  we  were  slowly  passing  an  un- 
improved tract  of  land,  a  gentleman  called  the  at- 
tention of  those  about  him,  saying  there  was  a 
grand  chance  for  a  speculation,  informing  us  that 
this  land  could  be  purchased  for  $250  per  acre. 


36  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

and  any  one  wishing  to  speculate  on  real  estate 
would  do  well  to  invest. 

We  soon  left  the  smooth  prairie  country  of  Illi- 
nois with  its  fine  farms  and  splendid  improvements 
dotted  with  the  beautiful  artificial  groves  and  com- 
fortable buildings,  bearing  the  marks  of  thrift 
and  industry  on  every  hand. 

Soon  we  enter  the  State  of  Michigan.  Here  we 
find  a  more  undulating  surface  dotted  with  its 
natural  groves,  pearly  streams  and  silvery  lakes 
changing  the  scene  from  the  really  attractive  to 
the  beautiful.  At  this  point  about  125  miles  from 
Chicago,  the  evergreen  trees  that  stand  pre-eminent 
among  the  ornamental  trees  of  the  earth  begin  to 
make  their  appearance,  interspersed  among  the 
natural  groves  of  this  locality.  We  proceed  on, 
passing  farm  houses,  lakes,  rivers,  groves,  and  plains 
toward  the  northern  boundary  of  the  state. 

Under  the  St.  Croix  River. 

We  are  about  to  enter  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
works  of  man.  The  brakeman  enters  the  car  and 
closes  every  ventilator  and  window.  The  train  here 
makes  a  peculiar  noise  somewhat  resembling  a  bul- 
let slowly  rolling  down  the  barrel  of  a  musket.  We 
are  now  traveling  directly  under  the  St.  Croix 
River,  passing  through  a  huge  iron  tube  19  feet 
ten  inches  in  diameter  and  over  a  mile  in  length. 
We  enter  this  tunnel  in  the  State  of  Michigan  and 
emerge  at  the  other  end  in  the  Province  of  Canada. 
Contrary  to  our  expectations  we  find  smooth  level 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  37 

country  devoid  of  timber,  covered  with  a  light  coat 
of  wild  grass  and  occasionally  streams  and  ponds 
on  some  of  which  fine  little  boats  were  sailing  and 
their  occupants  appeared  to  be  having  a  pleasant 
time.  The  country  through  here  was  rather  sparse- 
ly settled.  As  we  traveled  farther  north  natural 
groves  and  clumps  of  timber  began  to  appear  and 
before  we  reached  Toronto  several  large  bodies  of 
heavy  timber  were  lying  along  our  route.  We  no- 
ticed some  of  the  settlers  through  these  parts  had 
a  taste  for  the  ornamental  and  had  transferred  some 
of  those  elegant  evergreen  trees  from  the  forest  to 
their  own  door  yards,  giving  them  a  neat,  tasty 
and  beautiful  appearance.  We  noted  the  farming 
operations  were  on  rather  a  small  scale.  Occasion- 
ally a  small  field  of  corn,  but  generally  small  grain, 
peas,  and  root  crops  seemed  to  take  the  lead.  Cat- 
tle and  hogs  were  scarce  when  we  compare  them  as 
seen  in  our  travel  through  Iowa.  As  we  approached 
nearer  the  city  of  Toronto  the  country  seems  more 
thickly  settled  and  the  houses  present  a  more  state- 
ly appearance. 

Upon  our  arrival  in  the  small  hours  of  the  night 
we  are  informed  that  it  is  Sunday  and  the  law 
forbids  the  running  of  trains  on  that  day  in  Can- 
ada. In  this  respect  their  morality  is  far  ahead  of 
the  ever-grasping  disposition  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States.  They  do  not  have  so  many  laws 
but  what  they  have  they  see  that  they  are  rigidly 
enforced.  The  railroad,  street  car  and  hackmen 
operators  are  all  given  a  rest  on  this  day  and  the 


38  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

busy  toilers  eagerly  accepted  the  privilege  of  at- 
tending divine  worship  at  some  of  the  many 
churches  in  this  beautiful  city.  This  city  has  the 
name  of  being  the  neatest  city  on  the  continent. 
We  have  no  reason  to  dispute  this  assertion,  for  it 
seemed  the  neatest  and  most  quiet  city  we  have  ever 
visited.  The  hotels  and  restaurants  were  the  only 
places  we  saw  opened  for  business  on  this  day. 
Toronto  has  a  population  of  200,000.  The  most 
noted  building  in  this  place  is  the  Parliament 
Building,  located  on  a  slight  eminence  in  the  heart 
of  the  city.  It  is  a  very  large,  fine  building  built 
of  granite. 

Some  of  the  streets  are  peculiarly  situated,  they 
branch  off  in  angles  from  this  building  similar  to 
the  spokes  in  the  hub  of  a  wheel.  Near  the  end  of 
this  building  earthworks  are  thrown  up.  Behind 
these  works  are  two  cannon  that  were  taken  at  Se- 
bastapol  and  presented  by  Queen  Victoria  to  the 
City  of  Toronto.  These  cannon  are  so  arranged 
that  they  have  range  of  the  entire  streets  leading 
to  the  building  on  the  side  where  they  are  located, 
making  a  great  advantage  in  repelling  an  enemy. 

We  noticed  one  of  the  main  streets  leading 
through  the  city  was  unlike  any  other  street  we  had 
even  seen.  There  were  three  rows  of  ornamental 
trees  of  the  different  varieties  of  shade  trees  plant- 
ed directly  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  extending 
from  one  end  to  the  other.  These  trees  had  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  planted  25  or  30  years  and 
furnished  an  abundant  shade.  Two  nice  walks  were 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  39 

laid  beneath  these  trees,  also  several  seats  were 
placed  at  intervals  between  the  walks  so  the  weary 
traveler  could  rest.  There  was  plenty  of  space  for 
vehicles  to  pass  on  either  side  of  these  trees,  for 
the  street  was  without  sidewalks,  the  pedestrians 
using  the  center  walks.  There  is  a  small  island  out 
in  the  lake  about  a  mile  from  shore.  This  is  fitted 
up  as  a  summer  resort,  having  a  large  hotel,  opera 
house,  skating  rink  and  several  other  places  for  the 
entertainment  of  those  who  wished  to  take  a  short 
trip  on  the  steamer  and  get  away  from  city  life  and 
enjoy  the  fresh  breezes  from  the  lake.  We  found 
the  people  of  this  city  very  courteous  and  obliging 
and  the  Endeavor ers,  numbering  over  eighty,  who 
were  on  this  excursion,  expressed  themselves  in 
generous  terms  for  the  grand  reception  and  kind 
treatment  they  received  from  the  good  people  cf 
Toronto. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  on  our  way  to- 
ward Boston.  When  daylight  appeared  we  founrl 
we  were  gliding  along  near  the  St.  Lawrence 
river,  passing  vast  domains  of  an  almost  treeless 
country,  with  the  exception  of  occasional  groves  of 
timber  that  were  scattered  in  groups  along  the 
stream.  Among  this  timber  was  a  mixture  of  other 
varieties  but  the  beautiful  evergreens  lifting  their 
lofty  heads  and  swaying  branches  shadowing  the 
limpid  water  of  the  great  river,  as  the  morning  sun- 
shine spread  its  tinted  rays  over  the  whole  scene 
produced  a  pleasing  picture.  The  imagination  can 
only  partially  reveal  its  grandeur. 


40  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

The  Thousand  Islands. 

We  soon  come  to  the  Thousand  Islands,  where 
many  miles  along  the  river  seems  to  be  a  mixture 
of  land  and  water.  Some  of  these  islands  contain 
large  tracts  of  land  upon  which  are  erected  splendid 
mansions  and  large  hotels.  These  are  used  as  sum- 
mer resorts  for  those  who  wish  to  spend  their  vaca- 
tion during  the  summer  months  in  sailing,  fishing 
and  hunting,  taking  advantage  of  the  various  means 
of  recreation.  These  islands  are  of  various  sizes 
and  shapes  and  are  largely  covered  with  evergreen 
trees.  Some  are  but  a  few  feet  across  and  like 
mere  dots  in  the  river,  while  the  swift  current  in- 
dicates it  has  a  firm  foundation  of  solid  rock. 
Measuring  from  one  of  these  small  islands  it  in- 
dicates the  depth  to  be  at  or  near  one  hundred 
feet.  The  route  by  the  side  of  this  river  and  lake  is 
very  picturesque.  The  irregular  banks  of  the  river 
and  lake  on  one  side  while  on  the  other  the  homes  of 
the  settlers  intermingled  with  nature  and  art  seem- 
ingly vicing  with  each  other  in  their  attempt  to 
produce  unlimited  attraction.  The  fine  houses  and 
the  attractive  landscapes,  the  broad  prairie  with  its 
fine  groves,  the  rippling  waves  as  they  dash  upon 
the  shore,  the  great  steamers  as  they  move  along 
like  living  things,  the  great  ships  as  they  are  passing 
to  and  fro  in  mid  lake,  the  pleasure  craft  as  they 
glide  along  bearing  their  happy  burdens  of  joyous 
humanity.  Little  groups  of  children  as  they  wander 
along  the  beach  gathering  the  shells  or  rolling  in 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  41 

the  sands,  sending  forth  their  joyous  shouts,  doing 
their  part  toward  enlivening  the  occasion.  Near  the 
head  of  the  lake  steamers  make  their  trips  to  the 
falls  of  Niagara. 

Niagara  Falls. 

These  falls  have  a  world- wide  reputation  as  one  of 
the  greatest  wonders  of  the  world.  The  Niagara 
river,  on  which  they  are  located,  is  one  of  the  most 
renowned  rivers  on  the  American  continent.  It  is  36 
miles  in  length  and  forms  a  portion  of  the  boundary 
line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada.  It  is 
through  this  river  the  water  of  the  great  lakes 
empties  itself  into  the  Atlantic  ocean,  forming  as  it 
were,  the  connecting  link  between  Lake  Erie  and 
Lake  Ontario.  The  great  Palls  are  located  22  miles 
from  Lake  Erie  and  14  miles  from  Lake  Ontario,  be- 
ing merely  a  link  in  the  chain  that  conducts  the 
waters  of  Lake  Superior  to  the  Atlantic  ocean.  This 
lake  is  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in  the  world, 
being  335  miles  in  length,  160  miles  in  width  and 
about  1,000  feet  in  depth.  These  large  bodies  of 
water  are  augmented  from  the  surplus  waters  of  the 
other  great  lakes,  Huron,  Michigan  and  St.  Clair, 
and  several  rivers  that  empty  their  contents  toward 
the  Niagara  and  effect  a  drainage  of  a  large  portion 
of  the  country  that  surrounds  them,  thus  forming  a 
volume  of  water  that  seems  comparatively  irresist- 
ible. The  scenery  along  the  banks  of  this  river  is 
really  romantic.  The  pine  and  cedar  furnish  a 
large  portion  of  the  trees  that  fringe  the  outline  of 


42  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

the  deep  gulch  in  solid  rock  through  which  the 
mighty  waters  make  the  grand  rush  toward  their 
destination.  Add  to  this  the  mighty  roar  of  the 
great  cataract  with  its  turbulent  waters  rushing 
onward  amid  the  waves,  ripples,  foam  and  mist  pro- 
ducing a  scene  that  the  beholder  may  view  in  no 
other  light  than  that  of  awe  and  grandeur.  One 
viewing  the  river  above  the  falls  meets  many  grand 
scenes  of  the  beautiful.  The  nice  residences  and 
large  hotels  and  the  numerous  islands  often  ob- 
scurely enshrouded  among  the  beautiful  evergreens 
that  sway  their  lofty  heads  and  swaying  branches 
are  attributes  to  the  enchanted  scene. 

Above  the  Palls  the  river  is  dotted  over  with 
numerous  islands  of  various  sizes.  The  most  conspic- 
uous among  these  is  Goat  Island,  it  being  the  largest 
of  the  group.  It  has  an  area  of  60  acres  and  is  situ- 
ated above  the  Falls  and  forms  a  division  of  the 
rapid  current  as  it  is  making  its  final  leap  over  the 
great  cataract.  This  division  of  the  stream  produces 
the  American  and  the  Canadian  Falls.  The  be- 
holder views  with  wonder  and  consternation  this 
volume  of  water  more  than  one-half  mile  in  width 
and  20  feet  in  thickness  falling  a  distance  of  165 
feet.  The  earth  trembles  for  a  long  distance  around 
and  the  terrible  roar  is  deafening.  Spray  and  mist 
is  continually  arising  from  the  concussion  of  the 
waters  below.  The  sun  shining  upon  these  produces 
the  most  magnificent  display  of  the  rainbow  in  all 
its  variegated  colors,  producing  a  scene  of  beauty 
and  amazement.  The  river  above  the  Falls  is  of  an 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  43 

average  depth  of  some  20  feet.  While  the  rapid 
current  below  the  Falls  has  a  varied  depth  of  from 
75  to  200  feet,  hemmed  in  by  nature's  handiwork,  a 
solid  wall  varying  in  height  from  100  to  200  feet. 

On  the  Canada  side  of  this  river  is  the  famous 
battle  ground  of  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the 
war  of  1812,  known  as  Lundy's  Lane,  in  which  Gen- 
eral Scott,  commanding  1,000  men,  gained  the  vic- 
tory. The  river  takes  a  comparatively  straight 
course  until  it  reaches  the  great  whirlpool,  located 
three  miles  below  the  Falls.  Here  it  courses  on- 
ward in  almost  a  direct  right  angle  from  its  previous 
course,  forming  the  renowned  whirlpool,  drawing 
everything  toward  its  vortex.  Logs  or  other  float- 
ing bodies  often  continue  their  circuitous  route  for 
months  before  they  find  their  exit,  at  right  angles 
from  their  entrance.  This  great  basin  is  sided  with 
the  strong  cliffs  300  feet  in  height  while  the  con- 
tinual wearing  away  of  the  rock  for  many  centuries 
has  formed  a  basin  estimated  to  be  400  feet  deep. 
The  famous  suspension  bridge  of  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad  crosses  the  river  two  miles  below  the 
Falls.  This  bridge  is  built  over  a  narrow  place 
in  the  river,  it  being  500  feet  in  length  and  240 
feet  above  the  water.  From  here  the  passengers  on 
the  trains  can  get  an  excellent  view  of  the  Falls. 
Continuing  by  the  side  of  the  lake  and  river  the 
entire  day  on  the  fast  train,  as  darkness  came  on  we 
still  were  gliding  along  near  a  large  body  of 
water. 

The  next  place  we  reached  was  the  great  city  of 


44  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

Montreal.  This  is  a  city  containing  over  300,000  in- 
habitants. Just  before  reaching  the  city  we  crossed 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  on  the  great  iron  bridge. 
This  is  a  grand  structure,  having  the  railroad  tracks 
below  and  the  wagon  road  above.  It  is  two  miles 
in  length  and  is  a  marvelous  piece  of  workmanship. 

The  business  portion  of  the  city  of  Montreal  is 
built  largely  of  brick.  The  great  cathedral  towers 
up  among  its  surroundings  as  one  of  the  great 
attractions.  This  building  is  supposed  to  be  sur- 
mounted with  the  largest  bell  upon  the  continent, 
its  weight  being  nearly  thirteen  thousand  pounds. 

The  inhabitants  seemed  to  be  of  an  industrious 
turn,  the  business  houses  having  a  good  trade,  more 
particularly  the  beer  saloons  that  were  quite  nu- 
merous and  doing  a  rushing  business.  A  delegation 
found  a  tribe  of  Indians  were  visiting  here  exposing 
for  sale  numerous  fancy  articles  of  beadwork  and 
found  a  good  trade  among  the  Endeavorers. 

We  now  proceed  on  our  way  to  the  New  England 
States,  passing  through  the  country  that  seems  the 
natural  home  of  the  evergreen  trees  that  here  raise 
their  lofty  heads  toward  the  skies,  here  scattering 
and  there  in  groups,  exhibiting  their  rich  foliage 
and  sending  forth  their  pleasant  fragrance,  scenting 
the  atmosphere  with  its  richly  laden  and  health- 
giving  breezes.  As  we  proceed  the  country  seems 
more  of  an  uneven  surface  with  occasionally  a  large 
hill  producing  a  romantic  scenery  interspersed  with 
cultivated  fields  and  gardens,  farm  houses  and 
forests. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  45 

CHAPTER  V. 
New  England. 

We  soon  are  gliding  over  the  Vermont  Central 
Railroad  and  are  fully  convinced  that  we  are  ap- 
proaching the  New  England  hills  and  rock-bound 
coast.  The  great  mountains  tower  their  lofty  peaks 
first  on  one  side  of  our  route  and  then  on  the 
other.  Some  very  close,  some  in  the  far  distance, 
their  smooth  surface  covered  with  nature's  mantle 
of  green,  indicating  their  name.  The  wonders  of 
the  world  may  truly  be  witnessed  as  we  view  the 
mountains,  the  ocean,  the  lakes,  the  rivers  and 
streams.  Vermont  may  truly  be  said  to  be  a  land 
of  hills  and  valleys.  The  hills  are  largely  covered 
with  rock,  in  fact  many  of  them  are  nearly  all  rock. 
The  valleys  between  the  hills  were  where  the  houses 
were  built,  the  neat  little  dwelling  with  the  barn 
and  orchard  and  the  other  convenient  surroundings. 
The  horse,  the  cow,  the  hogs  and  the  chickens  were 
all  happily  domiciled  and  domesticated  on  the  lit- 
tle domain  of  but  a  few  acres,  the  children  making 
demonstrations  of  joy  indicating  that  this  to  them 
was  a  happy  home.  Some  of  our  company  expressed 
themselves  when  they  noticed  the  degree  of  fru- 
gality they  exhibited  in  the  care  of  their  crops 
and  the  caution  used  that  nothing  be  wasted.  They 
could  but  note  the  difference  between  farming  in 
Vermont  and  farming  in  Iowa,  stating  that  very 


46  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

many  of  the  farmers  in  the  State  of  Iowa  allowed 
more  to  be  wasted  than  the  entire  crop  of  some  of 
these  small  farmers.  Yet  they  rear  their  children, 
supply  them  with  schools  and  churches  and  instill 
into  them  habits  of  industry,  frugality  and  morality 
and  they  become  educated  along  this  line  from  early 
childhood  and  prove  to  the  world  that  upon  these 
fundamental  principles  rests  the  prosperity  and 
happiness  of  mankind.  The  soil  though  seeming 
somewhat  sterile,  with  the  thorough  cultivation 
given  by  these  industrious  people,  produces  abun- 
dant crops  of  such  grain  and  vegetables  as  are 
most  needed  for  their  use.  A  traveler  was  once 
riding  through  this  country.  Noticing  the  hills  and 
the  rocks  and  the  poor  quality  of  the  soil,  he 
thought  it  poorly  adapted  for  the  rearing  of  any 
kind  of  crops.  Presently  meeting  an  old  lady  he 
accosted  her  with  the  question,  "What  do  you 
raise  in  this  part  of  the  country?"  The  reply  he 
received  was  unexpected  but  to  the  point.  As  she 
reared  her  stalwart  form  to  its  full  height  the  an- 
swer came,  "We  raise  men,  sir."  Her  answer  may 
truly  be  verified,  for  among  these  natives  of  the 
rocks  and  hills  of  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire  have 
been  culled  some  of  the  most  renowned  men  of  the 
nation,  both  in  civil,  and  military  life.  Their  habits 
of  prudence,  industry  and  morality  vouchsafed  to 
them  the  elements  of  success  that  ever  attend  those 
that  have  these  qualities.  It  insures  to  them  the  re- 
ward that  ever  awaits  those  who  are  blessed  with 
proper  training  from  early  childhood. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  47 

Some  of  these  settlers  were  not  contented  with 
what  farm  land  there  was  in  a  single  valley,  this 
being  surrounded  or  nearly  so,  by  a  steep  ledge  of 
rocks  serving  as  a  permanent  fence  on  the  too- 
angular  sides,  while  the  front  toward  the  track  was 
fenced  with  a  substantial  stone  wall.  A  quarter  of 
a  mile  away  was  another  valley  similar  to  the  first 
that  was  also  used  for  cultivation.  There  seemed 
no  road  connecting  these  valleys,  only  the  railroad, 
and  having  hay  to  rake  in  this  valley  a  man  started 
through  the  cut  of  the  railroad  track  with  a  rake 
and  horse  attached,  probably  not  thinking  of  the 
excursion  train  coming  at  a  rapid  rate,  until  he 
was  overtaken  when  nearly  through,  and  rake  and 
horse  were  dumped  off  in  a  confused  mass. 

We  now  can  see  the  rocks,  hills,  mountains  and 
streams  of  New  Hampshire.  While  we  are  proceed- 
ing onward  our  sweet  singers  strike  up  one  of  their 
beautiful  songs  that  go  so  far  towards  brightening 
life's  pathway  and  cementing  more  firmly  the  "tie 
that  binds."  We  occasionally  passed  a  little  village, 
a  regular  New  England  village,  with  its  church,  and 
schoolhouse,  its  blacksmith  and  wheelwright  shops, 
its  store  and  postoffice  and  the  few  cozy  dwellings 
that  go  to  make  up  the  center  of  attraction  to  the 
settlers  in  the  vicinity.  These  all  present  a  thrifty 
and  tidy  appearance. 

Daniel  Webster's  Farm. 

One  of  our  number  advanced  the  question,  wish- 
ing to  know  how  such  farms  as  these  would  rent 


48  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

in  the  State  of  Iowa.  This  brought  to  our  memory 
an  incident  that  occurred  several  years  ago  when 
Daniel  Webster,  the  noted  lawyer,  statesman  and 
orator,  was  doing  business  in  Boston.  In  one  of 
his  trades  he  came  in  possession  of  a  small  farm  in 
the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  He  was  owner  of  this 
farm  several  years,  but  owing  to  professional  duties 
that  were  ever  pressing,  he  had  never  seen  it.  One 
summer  while  taking  a  trip  to  the  White  Moun- 
tains he  thought  he  would  stop  off  and  take  a  view 
of  his  possessions.  Going  up  to  the  little  dilapi- 
dated dwelling  he  rapped  on  the  door.  His  call 
was  answered  by  a  stern  elderly  lady  who  wished  to 
know  what  he  wanted.  He  asked  her  if  he  could 
get  a  drink  of  water.  "Certainly,"  she  replied,  and 
handed  out  to  him  a  tin  dipper  of  water.  He  then 
asked  her  how  long  she  had  lived  there.  She 
replied,  "Several  years."  He  then  asked  her  how 
much  land  she  had  there  and  if  she  owned  it. 
"No,"  she  said,  "it  belongs  to  a  lawyer  who  lives 
in  Boston  by  the  name  of  Webster."  "How  much 
rent  do  you  have  to  pay?"  "Rent,  we  don't  pay 
any  rent,  and  if  he  don't  come  pretty  soon  and  fix 
up  the  house  I  will  go  off  and  leave  it.  I  will  not 
stay  here  freezing." 

Prom  the  external  appearance  of  many  of  the 
farms,  to  the  western  farmer  their  views  on  the 
system  of  renting  would  be  all  they  could  raise  and 
the  house  kept  in  good  repair.  With  all  these  mea- 
gre surroundings  have  come  forth  men  of  excellence 
to  the  state  and  nation  and  the  highest  offices  in 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  49 

the  gift  of  the  people  have  been  honorably  filled  by 
the  parties  who  came  from  these  states. 

It  seemed  perfectly  natural  for  them  to  find  an 
answer  for  every  question.  A  stranger  driving 
through  that  country  during  a  cold  and  backward 
spring  accosted  a  boy  who  was  at  work  in  an  ad- 
joining field,  asking  him  what  the  matter  was  with 
his  corn,  what  made  it  look  so  yellow.  "Why,"  said 
he,  "We  planted  the  yellow  kind."  "Well,  what 
makes  it  look  so  small?"  "Why,  father  went  away 
over  to  Uncle  Bill's  to  get  some  of  his  small  kind." 
"Well,  it  don't  look  as  if  you  would  get  more  than 
half  a  crop."  "Well,  we  don't  expect  but  half  a 
crop;  we  put  this  in  on  shares."  The  stranger 
concluded  it  was  hard  to  outwit  one  of  these  Yan- 
kees, although  nothing  but  a  boy. 

Our  train  is  now  rapidly  rolling  along  by  the 
side  of  a  small  stream,  a  tributary  to  the  Merri- 
mac  River.  We  follow  the  water  course  by  crossing 
and  recrossing  as  we  speed  onward  toward  the 
capital  of  the  state.  Concord  is  a  fine  city  situated 
on  the  bank  of  the  Merrimac  Eiver. 

Hannah  Dustin  Monument. 

Just  as  we  reached  the  river  there  came  to  our 
view  a  large  nice  stone  and  marble  monument, 
beautifully  carved  and  surmounted  by  a  life-size, 
beautiful  female  figure.  This  monument  is  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Hannah  Dustin  upon  Contoocock 
Island,  a  small  island  in  the  river  near  the  city. 
She  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  in  the  early  his- 


50  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

tory  of  this  country  and  clearly  exhibits  the  skill, 
nerve,  bravery  and  endurance  of  the  early  settlers 
of  that  day.  In  an  early  day  the  Indians  who  are 
ever  treacherous,  would  occasionally  get  on  the  war 
path  and  slyly  and  cruelly  commit  the  most  barbar- 
ous depredations  ever  known  in  warfare.  On  one  of 
these  raids  upon  the  settlers  the  Dustin  family  were 
suddenly  attacked,  Mr.  Dustin  being  at  work  in 
the  field.  Hurrying  to  the  house  he  got  out  his 
family  of  wife  and  eight  children  and  ordered  a 
hasty  retreat.  Mrs.  Dustin  having  a  babe  only  a 
week  old,  she  with  her  nurse,  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  savages.  As  prisoners  they  were  marched 
into  the  wilderness.  The  babe  becoming  trouble- 
some, cried.  Not  liking  this,  one  of  the  savages 
snatched  it  from  its  mother  and  killed  it.  They 
continued  their  course  for  several  days  into  the 
dense  forest,  and  at  night  as  they  lay  about  the 
campfire  in  an  exhausted  condition  they  were  soon 
sound  asleep.  Mrs.  Dustin  stealthily  arose,  awak- 
ened her  nurse,  also  a  boy  who  had  been  previously 
taken  prisoner.  They  had  learned  from  the  Indians 
how  to  strike  a  blow  that  would  produce  instant 
death.  Securing  each  a  tomahawk  and  planning 
each  their  part,  at  a  given  signal  the  blows  were 
struck  and  of  the  twelve  sleepers  ten  lay  dead. 
One,  a  squaw,  was  not  fatally  wounded;  the  other 
being  a  child,  was  spared  through  design.  She 
who  had  but  a  short  time  previous  given  up  all 
hope  of  ever  seeing  her  loved  ones  again,  was  now 
master  of  the  situation.  Animated  with  the  hope 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  51 

of  escape  she  immediately  commenced  to  carry  out 
her  plan.  Having  first  secured  the  gun  and  toma- 
hawk and  a  bag  of  scalps  as  trophies  of  her  hero- 
ism, they  commenced  their  journey  through  the 
forest.  They  soon  found  a  stream;  this  they  fol- 
lowed believing  it  would  lead  to  civilization.  By 
the  bank  of  the  river  they  found  a  canoe.  They 
seated  themselves  in  this  and  floated  down  the 
river  for  several  days  and  nights  until  they  came 
near  to  the  point  where  the  monument  now  stands 
erected  to  her  memory,  and  were  greeted  with  the 
greatest  joy  by  their  loving  friends  who  had  given 
up  all  hope  of  ever  seeing  them  again. 

We  next  arrive  at  the  city  of  Nashua.  This  is 
a  fine-looking  place.  One  peculiarity  about  it  is  the 
material  of  the  buildings,  nearly  every  structure 
in  the  town  being  composed  of  hard  brick. 

We  soon  come  to  the  large  manufacturing  cities 
of  Lawrence  and  Lowell.  These  places  are  noted 
for  the  large  number  of  cotton  factories  where  the 
numerous  operators  turn  out  immense  quantities 
of  manufactured  goods  that  have  gained  a  world 
wide  reputation  for  their  excellent  qualities.  The 
falls  in  the  Merrimac  River  produce  the  excellent 
water  power  that  propels  the  great  machinery  that 
furnish  employment  to  the  thousands  of  male  and 
female  operatives  that  are  employed  here.  These 
cities  may  truly  be  called  the  cities  of  "spindles," 
on  account  of  the  quantity  and  quality  of  manu- 
factured goods  that  are  annually  made  from  the 
raw  material. 


52  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

CHAPTER  VI. 
C.  E.  Convention  at  Boston. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  great  historical 
New  England  city— Boston.  We  find  it  swept  and 
garnished  and  attired  in  its  very  best  and  ready  to 
cordially  receive  its  visitors  to  the  great  convention. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  Union  Depot  we  were  met 
by  a  large  number  of  enthusiastic,  happy,  smiling 
Christian  Endeavorers  who  cordially  greeted  us  to 
their  city  and  the  great  convention.  Every  question 
asked  was  cheerfully  answered.  Guides  were  fur- 
nished to  direct  or  accompany  us  to  any  place  we 
wished  to  go.  We  were  astonished  at  the  decorative 
display.  The  first  motto  that  greeted  us  was  met 
as  we  stepped  on  the  platform  from  the  crowded 
train.  The  Christian  Endeavor  flags  could  be  seen 
in  every  direction,  while  in  gold  edged,  highly  col- 
ored, large  ornamental  letters  was  this  one  motto 
that  seems  to  thrill  the  heart  of  every  true  En- 
deavorer:  "For  Christ  and  the  Church,  Welcome," 
emblematical  of  the  true  religion  and  the  upbuilding 
of  the  doctrine  of  righteousness  and  Christianity. 
These  mottoes  were  displayed  upon  every  church, 
booth  or  headquarters  for  the  meeting  of  the  En- 
deavorers, while  the  flags  were  in  wonderful  pro- 
fusion, placed  upon  nearly  every  business  house 
along  the  line  of  our  travel.  The  delegates  as  they 
arrived  were  directed  to  the  headquarters  of  their 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  53 

respective  states,  which  was  one  of  the  many  differ- 
ent churches  throughout  the  city.  Upon  arrival 
there  and  presenting  the  proper  credentials,  we 
were  given  a  program  of  the  meeting,  also  a  badge 
entitling  the  wearer  to  enter  all  meetings  of  the 
convention.  We  were  surprised  to  note  the  wonder- 
ful growth  of  Boston  since  we  had  left  the  city  in 
which  we  were  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware 
store  more  than  forty  years  before,  at  which  time 
we  became  very  familiar  with  many  portions  of 
the  city.  Wonderful  changes  had  been  wrought  in 
the  straightening  of  the  streets  and  the  erection  of 
new  buildings;  the  places  that  had  been  very  fa- 
miliar to  me  now  seemed  strange.  Union  Street,  the 
one  that  had  been  traversed  by  me  daily  for  many 
months,  was  now  made  wider  and  straightened  and 
the  one  and  a  half  story  wooden  building  that  we 
occupied  had  been  replaced  with  a  fine  four-story 
brick  that  presented  a  fine,  but  to  me  an  unnatural, 
appearance. 

When  we  neared  the  "Common,"  the  great  at- 
traction of  the  day  seemed  to  be  two  very  large 
tents  that  were  surrounded  by  dense  crowds  of 
people.  Upon  our  approach  we  were  admitted  to 
find  them  seemingly  packed,  but  like  the  old  fash- 
ioned omnibus,  there  always  seemed  to  be  room  for 
one  more.  After  the  usher  had  found  us  a  com- 
fortable seat  we  were  deeply  impressed  with  the 
size  and  character  of  the  audience.  Fifteen  thou- 
sand persons  were  said  to  be  in  this  great  audience. 
It  seemed  like  a  sea  of  faces  in  whatever  direction 


54  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

we  looked,  and  more  than  that,  they  seemed  to  be 
lit  up  and  radiated  with  love  for  the  Divine  Master. 
We  have  attended  quite  a  number  of  different  kinds 
of  conventions  but  this  one  for  real  enjoyment  sur- 
passed them  all.  They  seemed  like  brothers  and 
sisters  in  reality  and  without  waiting  for  an  intro- 
duction were  endeavoring  to  carry  out  the  true 
principles  of  their  motto,  "For  Christ  and  the 
Church."  During  the  few  minutes  before  the  regu- 
lar exercises  commenced  it  seemed  a  grand  social 
gathering.  Though  thousands  of  miles  intervened 
between  their  homes,  they  were  as  of  one  mind  and 
heart  and  were  using  their  best  efforts  to  make 
those  near  them  to  feel  happy  and  it  seemed  as 
though  they  met  with  remarkably  good  success.  In 
this  great  tent  were  assembled  15,000  persons  whose 
hearts  were  enlightened  and  made  glad  and  beat 
in  sympathy  in  the  one  grand  cause  for  which  they 
had  assembled,  to  advance  the  standard  and  pro- 
mote a  deeper  interest  in  the  great  work  assigned 
to  this  Christian  organization.  Aside  from  this 
one  were  two  other  assemblages  of  equally  vast 
proportions,  and  equally  enthusiastic  in  carrying  out 
the  plans  to  promote  the  great  work  assigned  to 
them  as  workers  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Here  were 
in  attendance  to  this  great  Convention  delegates 
not  only  from  every  State  in  this  glorious  Union  of 
ours,  but  representatives  to  this  grand  gathering 
from  very  many  of  the  other  countries  of  the  world 
who  were  interested  in  the  grand  object  of  this 
great  gathering.  Among  this  assemblage  could  be 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  55 

found  representatives  from  Canada,  England,  Scot- 
land, Ireland,  Germany,  Mexico,,  Australia,  India, 
Japan  and  Africa.  With  such  a  representation  from 
so  large  a  portion  of  the  world  and  representing  the 
best  principles  of  the  people,  represented  in  the  true 
light  of  Christianity  and  having  for  its  object  the 
salvation  of  the  souls  of  their  fellow  beings,  could 
we  think  otherwise  than  that  such  a  gathering, 
illuminated  with  the  light  of  love  for  the  great 
Master,  would  result  in  a  most  joyous  occasion. 

Governor  Greenhalge  gave  the  Endeavorers  a 
grand  treat  in  his  address  of  welcome  to  the  State 
of  Massachusetts.  His  earnest  manner  and  wise 
sayings  were  received  with  marked  effect,  in  the 
beautiful  words  that  he  used  in  welcoming  this 
great  army  to  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  His 
speech  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his  audience 
as  he  championed  the  cause  of  Christianity  and 
with  well  chosen  words  highly  applauded  the  so- 
ciety of  Christian  Endeavorers.  We  were  deeply 
impressed  when  several  months  later  we  received 
the  intelligence  that  he  had  gone  to  his  reward 
and  we  trust  was  gladly  welcomed  by  the  heavenly 
host  in  the  great  beyond.  He  left  a  memory  to  the 
living  not  readily  forgotten.  His  energy  and  earn- 
estness in  the  cause  he  championed  seemed  to  place 
him  in  near  touch  with  the  people. 

The  presiding  officer  of  this  session  of  the  great 
Convention  was  Francis  E.  Clark,  the  founder  of 
the  movement.  In  his  address  he  spoke  highly  of 
the  earnestness  manifested  and  the  progress  made 


56  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

among  the  willing  workers  in  the  great  cause  they 
were  advocating  to  carry  out  the  true  spirit  of  their 
motto,  "For  Christ  and  the  Church." 

Secretary  Baer  read  his  annual  report  and  gave 
statistics  that  showed  the  magnitude  of  the  great 
and  good  work  that  was  in  progress  and  the  won- 
derful success  it  had  already  attained.  In  his  re- 
port he  stated  that  there  were  1563  societies  in  the 
State  of  Iowa.  There  were  in  attendance  773  dele- 
gates from  that  State.  In  noting  the  progress  it 
had  made  during  the  past  year  not  only  in  regard 
to  members,  but  the  amount  of  good  influences  that 
had  been  scattered  broadcast  throughout  the  land, 
is  worthy  of  not  only  comment  but  careful  consid- 
eration, as  it  tends  toward  a  higher  life  and  a 
greater  degree  of  usefulness.  He  stated  that  during 
the  past  year  202,000  persons  taken  from  the  ranks 
of  the  Christian  Endeavorers  had  joined  the  various 
churches  throughout  our  land.  What  an  influence 
for  good.  It  clearly  shows  that  Christianity  is 
rapidly  advancing  through  the  aid  of  these  workers 
in  the  Master's  vineyard.  Happy  thought,  that  the 
world  is  growing  better  and  that  sin,  misery  and 
wretchedness  are  being  banished  from  our  midst. 
Thousands  of  voices  sent  forth  their  most  melodious 
strains  in  worship  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  whose  true 
promise  is  to  lead  us  safely  on  to  the  realms  of 
eternal  joy.  Some  fifteen  speakers  took  the  stand 
and  each  made  from  five  to  eight  minute  speeches 
of  the  very  best  thoughts  they  had  for  this  occasion. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  57 

It  was  truly  a  rare  treat  and  a  fund  of  enjoyment 
to  every  seeker  of  true  happiness. 

At  the  close  of  the  morning  session  appointments 
were  made  to  hold  services  at  the  many  different 
churches  throughout  the  city.  These  meetings  were 
largely  attended  by  those  of  a  true  worshipping 
spirit.  Noted  speakers  from  all  over  our  land  who 
were  interested  and  had  a  word  for  l(  Christ  and 
the  Church"  took  an  active  part  in  these  meetings, 
consequently  they  were  made  very  enjoyable  occa- 
sions. 

Faneuil  Hall. 

The  mayor  in  his  address  of  welcome  said  he  not 
only  welcomed  them  to  the  privileges  of  the  city  but 
to  all  the  other  places  of  interest  to  them,  stating 
there  were  several  places  of  deep  historical  interest 
that  he  wished  them  to  visit  before  they  left  for 
their  homes.  These  were  Faneuil  Hall,  Bunker  Hill 
Monument,  the  Old  North  and  the  Old  South 
Churches,  the  harbor  where  the  tea  was  thrown 
over  board,  the  Museum,  the  State  House  and  other 
public  buildings,  the  public  garden  and  the  various 
memorial  monuments  and  statues  that  graced  the 
public  places  of  the  city.  Faneuil  Hall  is  one  of  the 
ancient  landmarks  of  the  city,  being  built  in  the 
year  1741,  a  donation  to  the  city  by  Peter  Faneuil, 
who  generously  showed  the  interest  he  manifested 
in  the  general  welfare  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city 
of  Boston.  It  was  at  this  hall  that  the  famous 
town  meetings  were  held.  These  meetings  were  for 


58  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

the  instruction  of  the  classes,  both  young  and  old, 
rich  and  poor,  assembled  and  upon  an  equality  en- 
gaged in  discussion  on  all  the  local  questions  of  the 
day.  The  great  question  of  liberty  was  here  dis- 
cussed until  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people  were 
truly  imbued  with  the  true  spirit  of  freedom.  The 
voices  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  Daniel  Webster,  Hor- 
ace Mann,  Edward  Everett,  Theodore  Parker,  Henry 
Clay  and  a  host  of  others  were  made  to  resound 
upon  the  ears  of  the  eager  listeners  until  the  whole 
people  seemed  to  be  burning  with  a  glowing  fire 
of  patriotism.  This  hall  is  called  the  "Cradle  of 
Liberty,"  for  here  the  great  question  was  incubated 
and  the  plans  were  laid  that  afterward  resulted  in 
the  independence  of  the  people.  It  was  here  in  this 
Hall  that  the  great  meeting  was  held  in  which  the 
"Boston  Tea  Party"  was  formed  and  the  party  of 
men  disguised  as  Indians  boarded  the  vessels  and 
emptied  three  hundred  and  forty-two  chests  of  tea 
into  the  water.  This  little  episode  stirred  up  a 
spirit  of  wrath  and  indignation  toward  the  colonists 
that  finally  led  to  the  clashing  of  arms.  Probably 
the  oldest  public  building  now  standing  is  the  Old 
State  House  that  was  built  in  the  year  1712.  This 
building  faces  Court  Square  upon  Court  Street,  and 
still  retains  its  primitive  appearance.  Although  the 
storms,  sunshine  and  blasts  of  more  than  two  cen- 
turies have  fallen  upon  this  graceful  structure,  it 
still  retains  its  original  beauty,  having  been  well 
preserved.  The  next  oldest  building  now  standing 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  59 

in  the  city  is  the  Christ  Church  that  was  dedicated 
in  1723. 

The  Old  North  Church. 

The  Old  North  Church  is  another  of  the  old  land 
marks  of  historical  record  for  it  was  from  the 
belfry  of  this  church  that  the  lanterns  were  dis- 
played that  gave  the  signal  to  Paul  Revere  that  the 
British  were  coming  to  make  an  attack  upon  the 
colonial  army  on  the  night  previous  to  the  battle 
of  Lexington.  Revere  having  previously  made  an 
agreement  with  an  old  gentleman  who  was  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  colonists  that  he  should  display  the 
lights  from  the  steeple  of  the  Church  upon  the  re- 
ceipt of  his  knowledge  that  they  were  coming.  He 
was  expectantly  waiting  on  the  impatient  horse  and 
when  the  lights  appeared,  he  rapidly  sped  his  way, 
giving  the  alarm  as  he  went,  arousing  the  sleeping 
settlers  as  he  traveled  the  entire  distance  to  Lex- 
ington. The  next  morning  the  first  battle  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  was  fought,  it  being  on  the  19th 
of  April,  1775. 

The  Old  South  Church  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation  and  one  of  the  attractions  of  the  pres- 
ent day.  This  church  was  used  while  Boston  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  British  as  a  training  school  for 
their  cavalry  troops.  It  is  at  the  present  time  used 
as  a  museum  of  antiquities  and  stands  among  the 
foremost  of  the  ancient  attractions  of  Boston. 


60  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

Bunker  Hill  Monument, 

Bunker  Hill  Monument  is  also  another  one  of  the 
attractions  of  this  ancient  city.  This  is  a  granite 
shaft  221  feet  in  height,  erected  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  the  great  battle  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1775,  also  to  mark  the  spot  where  General  Warren 
sacrificed  his  life  for  the  cause  of  Independence.  A 
stranger  coming  to  this  city  views  with  wonder 
and  astonishment  this  massive  structure  towering 
heavenward  among  its  surroundings.  Among  the 
first  prisoners  that  were  captured  by  the  Yankees 
during  the  Civil  War  was  a  lot  sent  to  Port  Warren, 
Boston.  They  were  not  very  well  versed  in  the 
history  of  their  country  as  the  conversation  with 
the  guard  shows.  When  they  beheld  the  towering 
shaft  their  curiosity  was  aroused.  "What  is  that 
tall  thing?"  says  one.  The  guard  informed  him 
that  it  was  Bunker  Hill  Monument.  "What  is  it 
there  for?"  The  guard  informed  him  it  was  to 
mark  the  place  where  General  Warren  fell.  "Did 
it  kill  him?"  "Certainly,  he  died  right  there." 
"Well,  I  should  think  it  would  have  killed  him  if 
he  fell  from  the  top  of  that  thing." 

The  Public  Garden. 

The  public  garden  is  one  of  the  grand  attractions 
of  Boston.  When  I  first  saw  Boston  Common,  it 
contained  a  nice  little  pond  known  as  the  Boston 
Frog  Pond.  After  the  introduction  of  the  water 
from  Cochituate  Lake  this  pond  was  enlarged  and 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE   PACIFIC  61 

laid  out  in  an  irregular  shape  so  it  does  not  look 
much  like  it  did  when  Benjamin  Franklin  and  his 
playmates  used  to  play  in  and  about  it.  When  we 
last  saw  it  small  steamers  were  plying  upon  it  that 
carried  passengers  around  the  pond  that  appeared 
to  be  after  the  pattern  of  the  spread  eagle,  its 
irregular  shape  making  it  quite  a  distance,  and  the 
sail  was  greatly  enjoyed  and  highly  appreciated  by 
young  America. 

The  profusion  of  plants  and  flowers  in  this  gar- 
den were  truly  beautiful  and  interesting  to  behold. 
That  lovely  word  welcome  was  tastefully  arranged 
from  the  growing  plants  and  was  viewed  with  ex- 
clamations of  delight  while  the  rarer  and  tropical 
plants  furnished  a  scene  that  was  truly  appreciated 
by  the  Endeavorers. 

The  soldiers'  monument  is  a  prominent  and  an 
interesting  figure.  This  monument  is  built  of  stone, 
100  feet  in  height,  some  forty  feet  square  at  its 
base,  upon  four  pedestals  which  are  surmounted 
with  life  size  bronze  figures  of  the  soldier  and  sailor 
dressed  in  their  uniforms  and  weapons  of  warfare; 
also  two  female  figures,  one  holding  a  book  and 
pen,  the  other  bearing  the  olive  branch  of  peace 
representing  peace  and  progress  of  the  nation. 
Nearby  is  the  large  bronze  figure  of  General  Wash- 
ington on  horseback.  These  figures  are  about  twice 
the  natural  size  and  make  a  very  imposing  appear- 
ance. There  are  several  other  noted  statues,  among 
them,  Atticks,  the  first  man  killed  by  the  British  in 
the  war  of  revolution. 


62  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

The  State  House  stands  on  Tremont  Street  and 
facing  the  Common.  The  grounds  are  kept  in  fine 
shape,  beautiful  walks  surrounding  and  crossing  in 
different  directions  among  the  green  grass  and 
lovely  flowers.  Beautiful  shade  trees  lend  their 
shade  to  the  travelers  as  they  promenade  on  these 
walks.  Nearby  was  a  large  bronze  lion  in  a  sitting 
posture  with  a  small  stream  of  water  continually 
running  from  its  mouth,  also  an  iron  dipper  that 
was  kept  chained  for  the  convenience  of  thirsty 
travelers.  There  were  people  ever  promenading  on 
the  beautiful  walks  beneath  the  shade  of  the  large 
trees.  During  the  heated  term  they  took  advantage 
of  getting  the  pure  air  and  exercise  at  the  Common 
and  Public  Garden. 

The  Park  Street  Church  stands  near  the  Com- 
mon, it  being  one  of  the  old  land  marks.  Some 
forty  years  before  it  was  our  privilege  to  hear  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  lecture  on  temperance  in  this  Church, 
when  Dr.  Lymm  Beecher  and  his  five  sons,  all  min- 
isters, were  present  with  him  in  the  pulpit,  while 
Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  author  of  "Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin,"  sat  on  the  platform  in  front,  forming  an 
interesting  feature  of  this  renowned  family.  Al- 
though all  or  nearly  all  have  passed  away,  they 
have  left  their  influence  mingled  with  many  pleas- 
ant memories  behind  them  that  is  even  now  being 
felt. 

Endeavorers  Visit  Salem. 

At  one  of  the  sessions  of  the  Endeavorers  an  in- 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  63 

vitation  was  given  them  to  visit  Salem,  situated  on 
the  coast  some  fourteen  miles  from  Boston.  This  is 
a  nice  city  and  one  that  I  always  have  taken  a  deep 
interest  in,  for  I  was  born  and  raised  only  six  miles 
distant  from  it.  The  Endeavorers  sent  word  that 
they  would  be  down  the  next  day,  10,000  of  them. 
Being  somewhat  anxious  to  see  old  Salem  again  I 
went  down  that  night  in  time  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  Endeavorers,  over  which  the  Mayor  presided. 
He  spoke  of  the  visitors  that  they  were  expecting 
the  next  day,  said  they  were  strangers  in  their  city 
and  he  wished  them  to  be  entertained  and  wel- 
comed in  the  best  manner  possible.  "Many  of  your 
parlors,"  said  he,  "I  have  never  seen  the  inside  of, 
but  I  want  you  to  open  your  parlor  doors,  invite 
them  in;  you  need  not  be  afraid  of  them,  for  they 
are  composed  of  the  very  best  class  of  people  we 
have  in  our  land." 

The  next  day,  according  to  agreement,  the  En- 
deavorers came  flocking  in  trainload  after  trainload, 
and  were  gladly  welcomed  by  the  Endeavorers  of 
the  City  of  Salem.  They  paraded  the  streets  in 
bands,  in  flocks  and  in  droves.  A  joyous  crowd 
were  they.  Every  face  seemed  to  be  lit  up  with 
the  light  of  God's  love  that  brings  peace  and  hap- 
piness to  the  soul.  Near  the  street  corner  where 
I  was  standing  with  quite  a  number  of  others,  was 
an  old  farmer  bent  with  age.  The  foremost  of  the 
company  struck  up  one  of  their  most  beautiful  songs 
that  are  always  so  inspiring,  and  when  joined  by 
the  whole  party  seemed  to  fill  the  whole  surround- 


64  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

ings  with  melody.  "What  kind  of  folks  are  these 
Christian  Endeavorers?"  asked  the  old  farmer. 
"They  are  the  happiest  set  of  folks  I  ever  saw  in 
all  my  life."  We  truly  believe  that  the  old  farmer 
was  right,  for  where  can  you  find  a  happier  people 
than  those  who  we  find  enrolled  among  that  number 
who  have  obligated  themselves  to  work  for  "Christ 
and  the  Church." 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  65 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Seeing  the  Sights. 

The  Endeavorers  were  now  wide  awake  and  very 
anxious  to  see  the  sights.  They  soon  met  a  reporter 
that  they  nearly  put  out  of  business  by  asking  him 
five  or  six  questions  all  at  once.  They  wished  to 
know  where  the  first  church  was  located?  The  old 
witch  house?  The  house  of  seven  gables?  Gallows 
hill?  The  house  where  Hawthorne  was  born?  Where 
could  they  see  the  tide  waters?  He  said  the  ques- 
tions came  from  this  company  of  young  women  so 
thick  and  fast  that  he  was  entirely  frustrated  and 
greatly  baffled  in  his  calling. 

The  first  Church  in  the  country  was  built  in  the 
year  1634,  although  the  church  was  organized  in 
1629.  It  was  a  very  heavy  framed  building,  sixteen 
feet  by  twenty,  thirteen  feet  in  height.  The  in- 
terior contained  a  very  high  pulpit  at  one  end;  on 
one  side  was  a  gallery,  supported  by  heavy  posts. 
These  posts  had  to  be  encased  with  a  wire  netting 
to  keep  the  visitors  from  taking  off  little  pieces  to 
retain  as  souvenirs  of  this  wonderful  building.  A 
portion  of  the  pews  were  still  in  the  building. 
Visitors  were  not  allowed  in  the  gallery  as  that  was 
being  used  for  the  storage  of  quite  a  lot  of  the  old 
style  machinery  including  the  spinning  wheel  and 
loom,  and  other  real  old  fashioned  things.  This  old 
building  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  citizens  of 


66  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

Salem.  It  is  nearly  surrounded  by  large  brick 
buildings  and  is  well  protected  from  fire.  The 
weatherboarding  is  kept  well  painted,  and  upon  the 
front  a  billboard  contains  the  following: 

"Church  organized  August  6th,  1629.  Built  1634. 
Rodger  Williams  the  first  pastor." 

ARTICLES    OF    COVENANT. 

"We  covenant  with  the  Lord  and  with  one  an- 
other and  do  bind  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  God 
to  walk  together  in  all  His  ways  according  as  He  is 
revealed  to  us  in  His  blessed  word  of  truth." 

Rodger  Williams,  though  a  just  and  good  man, 
disagreed  with  the  leading  members  of  his  church 
upon  some  doctrinal  points  and  was  with  direful 
threats  banished  from  his  country.  Starting  out  on 
foot  and  alone  into  the  dense  forest,  traveling  for 
many  days  in  a  southerly  direction,  subsisting  upon 
such  as  the  forests  afforded,  barks,  roots  and  herbs, 
he  finally  encountered  a  party  of  Indians  that 
proved  to  be  friendly  to  him.  They  took  him  to 
their  camp  where  he  was  kindly  received  and  cared 
for.  To  prove  their  friendship  they  furnished  him 
with  a  home  and  treated  him  in  a  very  friendly 
manner.  All  of  this  kind  treatment  he  looked  upon 
as  coming  through  the  dispensation  of  a  kind  Provi- 
dence that  guided  his  steps  to  the  pleasant  sur- 
roundings he  there  found.  So  he  named  this  place 
Providence,  being  on  the  site  where  the  city  of 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  now  stands,  that  great 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  67 

and  noble  city  that  had  such  a  miraculous  begin- 
ning. 

The  Old  Witch  House. 

The  old  witch  house  that  was  among  the  first 
where  witchcraft  prevailed,  is  still  now  standing. 
Nearly  two  centuries  have  passed  since  it  was  among 
the  most  noted  of  the  times  in  which  the  people  of 
Salem  and  from  a  long  distance  around  were  deal- 
ing with  that  terrible  delusion  that  brought  sorrow, 
suffering  and  death  to  so  many  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  Endeavorers  were  greatly  interested  in  viewing 
this  house  which  at  this  time  was  showing  its  age, 
though  it  still  maintained  its  original  shape  and 
promises  to  be  a  sight  for  the  beholders  for  a  long 
time  to  come. 

That  afternoon  an  open  air  meeting  was  held  on 
the  Common.  Two  colored  orators  spoke  before 
the  vast  crowd  assembled  there.  One  of  these  was 
Bishop  Arnett  from  Ohio;  he  is  a  grand  speaker, 
having  a  rich  mellow  voice  of  great  volume.  With 
words  and  thoughts  from  the  wonderful  mind  that 
he  possessed,  accompanied  with  his  splendid  oratory 
and  his  wonderful  love  for  the  work  of  the  Master, 
could  it  be  thought  otherwise  than  that  he  held  his 
audience  spellbound  as  he  uttered  in  his  rich  flowing 
language  the  beautiful  words  of  the  Savior's  love 
and  His  wonderful  mercy  to  all,  if  they  will  accept 
His  promises  and  strive  to  do  His  will. 

There  was  present  at  this  meeting  the  man  that 
first  signed  the  Christian  Endeavor  Pledge.  He 


68  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

made  a  short  speech  on  the  speaker's  stand  and 
spoke  in  highest  terms  of  the  Christian  Endeavor 
movement.  There  was  present  one  man  who  was 
the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  being  a  musician 
on  the  speaker's  stand. 

The  same  evening  we  attended  a  meeting  at  one 
of  the  churches.  Several  fine  speakers  were  pres- 
ent and  addressed  the  gathering.  Among  them  was 
the  Mayor  of  the  city.  There  was  also  in  attend- 
ance on  the  platform  a  Chinaman  and  an  Indian 
who  were  students  from  their  schools.  The  first 
said  he  was  educating  himself  to  be  a  missionary, 
as  he  had  found  that  wondrous  Love  that  had 
been  so  good  to  him.  He  wished  to  go  back  to  his 
own  countrymen  and  teach  them  the  way  that 
leads  toward  that  heavenly  city  where  Christ 
reigns.  Another  young  man,  an  Indian  from  the 
Indian  school,  stood  before  the  audience  and  spoke 
in  his  broken  English  of  the  great  advantage  he  had 
received  from  the  Christian  Endeavor  movement, 
how  he  had  been  elevated  since  he  first  begun  the 
Christian  life.  Said  he,  "  Three  years  ago  I  lived 
in  a  wigwam  and  wore  a  blanket  and  could  not 
speak  a  word  of  English."  What  a  contrast,  as 
he  now  appeared  before  this  audience  dressed  in 
a  fashionable  suit  and  in  his  broken  English  speak- 
ing of  the  Savior's  love  and  telling  what  Christ 
and  Christian  Endeavor  had  done  for  him.  He 
wished  to  qualify  himself  so  he  could  go  back 
among  his  friends  and  kindred  and  associates  and 
preach  to  them  the  gospel  of  Christ  that  he  had 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  69 

found  so  precious  to  him.  As  I  viewed  these  two 
young  men  that  had  been  brought  from  darkness 
unto  light,  reared  from  the  dark  places  of  the 
earth  and  now  treading  the  pathway  of  righteous- 
ness, I  was  forced  to  believe  what  a  grand  and 
noble  thing  it  is  to  be  a  Christian  and  work  "for 
Christ  and  the  Church. " 

Salem  Witchcraft. 

At  an  early  date  in  the  year  1692  a  strange 
delusion  came  over  the  citizens  of  Salem.  There 
was  a  minister  by  the  name  of  Parris  that  had 
several  children  that  seemed  to  be  ungovernable. 
Their  parents  or  any  one  beside  could  not  seem  to 
manage  them.  While  at  church  they  would  talk 
or  scream  during  the  services  disturbing  the  con- 
gregation, and  as  they  could  not  be  quieted  it  was 
believed  they  were  bewitched.  Committees  of  ex- 
amination were  held  to  ascertain  the  cause  and  who 
it  was  that  bewitched  them.  During  this  time  the 
terrible  mania  spread  to  other  children.  Courts, 
committees,  judges  seemed  to  foster  no  other  belief 
than  that  they  were  laboring  under  the  influence 
of  this  terrible  scourge.  They  would  ask  them  to 
tell  who  the  person  was  that  bewitched  them. 
When  a  person  was  named  they  were  placed 
under  arrest  and  drawn  before  the  court  for  trial. 
They  were  almost  unanimously  found  guilty  and 
committed  to  prison.  The  people  believed  in  witch- 
craft, even  those  of  the  highest  rank  and  re- 
spectability. Clergymen,  lawyers,  judges,  and  the 


70  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

best  talented  people  of  the  town  were  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  that  belief.  Courts  were  held,  the 
accused  were  found  guilty,  after  more  than  fifty 
arrests  had  been  made,  many  of  them  from  the  most 
pious  and  respected  people  in  their  midst.  One, 
an  old  lady,  who  doubtless  got  in  a  hurry  to  get 
her  apple  dumplings  boiling,  did  not  stop  to  peal 
or  core  the  apples  but  put  them  in  whole ;  this  new 
way  before  unheard  of  was  considered  proof 
enough  to  cause  her  arrest;  accordingly  she  was 
brought  before  the  court,  pronounced  guilty  and 
thrown  into  prison,  as  one  who  was  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Satan.  After  twenty  persons  had  been 
publicly  hanged  on  the  gallows  that  was  erected 
on  the  hill  nearby,  and  many  of  the  best  citizens 
had  been  tortured  and  hanged,  the  people  awoke 
to  their  superstitious  belief  and  greatly  regretted 
and  mourned  that  they  were  so  foolish  as  to  listen 
to  the  pranks  of  a  few  unruly  children.  One  judge, 
who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  prosecution 
of  these  people,  afterward  so  deeply  regretted  it, 
that  on  the  day  of  their  annual  Past  he  would 
arise  in  his  seat  and  make  an  acknowledgment 
of  the  error  he  had  committed  and  prayerfully 
asked  that  he  might  be  forgiven. 

Gallows  Hill. 

The  Endeavorers  were  anxious  to  see  Gallows 
Hill  and  were  kindly  escorted  to  the  spot  which 
had  become  greatly  changed  since  it  became  the 
place  of  the  execution  of  the  persons  who  were  so 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  71 

cruelly  destroyed  and  their  lives  blotted  out  be- 
cause, through  ignorance  and  superstition,  they 
were  supposed  to  be  witches.  The  march  of  progress 
had  changed  from  the  barren  hill  to  a  well  ar- 
ranged street  with  nice  buildings  that  take  the 
place  of  the  dreaded  instrument  of  death  that  took 
the  lives  of  so  many  persons  who  were  guilty  of  no 
crime,  only  supposed  to  be  witches.  Thus  Gallows 
Hill  exists  in  history  and  likely  its  name  will  ever 
be  handed  down  to  all  future  generations  as  a  mark 
of  the  superstitious  belief  that  our  forefathers  ex- 
ercised in  regard  to  the  Salem  witchcraft. 

Hawthorne  House. 

The  Endeavorers  were  very  much  interested  in 
viewing  the  old  curiosities.  It  was  especially  so  in 
regard  to  the  old  houses  and  public  buildings  in 
the  city  of  Salem.  It  was  quite  an  attraction  to 
see  the  house  that  furnished  the  birthplace  of  the 
great  writer  and  scholar  Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 
The  Endeavorers  gathered  there  in  droves  to  see 
it.  This  is  a  large  two  story  house  presenting  a 
rather  old  appearance.  It  was  divided  into  quite 
a  number  of  rooms  and  furnished  the  dwelling  place 
for  several  families.  One  thing  very  peculiar  about 
it  was  its  wonderful  chimney,  for  it  was  built  at  an 
early  date,  when  the  belief  was  that  every  fireplace 
must  have  its  separate  flue.  The  uniting  of  these 
from  the  different  fireplaces  into  one  chimney  made 
it  of  immense  size  and  of  a  very  irregular  shape 


72  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

and   pronounced   by   the   visitors    as   a    wonderful 
chimney. 

House  of  Seven  Gables. 

This  is  another  of  the  old  attractions  of  the 
city  of  Salem.  It  is  a  large  two-story  framed 
house  standing  by  the  side  of  the  bay.  It  is  of  a 
peculiar  build,  having  a  bulged  roof  and  also  hav- 
ing seven  gables.  This  house  is  known  far  and 
wide  and  its  fame  has  gone  into  history  as  the  resi- 
dence of  Hawthorne  and  where  he  did  the  most  of 
his  famous  writings.  It  is  situated  near  the  sea 
and  is  called  the  Hawthorne  House.  Here  is  seen 
the  broad  expanse  of  the  water  with  its  many 
ships,  vessels  and  boats  passing  to  and  fro.  It 
was  here  that  he  gazed  upon  the  placid  waters  as 
they  presented  a  calm  and  peaceful  scene,  filling 
life  with  hope  and  joy.  It  was  here  also  that  he 
viewed  the  turbulent  waters  when  the  fierce  storms 
came  and  the  troubled  sea  rolled  in  its  monstrous 
waves  following  each  other  in  quick  succession, 
lashing  the  shore  with  its  terrible  fury.  Then,  after 
the  storm,  a  most  beautiful  sunset  appears.  A 
glorious  sight  is  the  sunset  upon  the  ocean.  The 
rolling  waves  as  they  send  upward  their  foaming 
crests  seem  also  to  be  illuminated  with  an  inward 
light  that  spreads  its  rays  upward  toward  the 
variegated  crimson  sky,  producing  a  scene  that  the 
most  skillful  artist  cannot  paint;  nor  can  the  ready 
writer  picture  in  words  the  grandeur  of  the  beau- 
tiful panorama  of  the  heavens  and  sea. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  73 


Lincoln  Monument. 

Standing  upon  a  high  pedestal  is  the  life  size 
figure  of  the  lamented  Lincoln.  He  stands  erect 
with  his  head  bowed  while  directly  in  front  is  the 
form  of  an  African  slave  upon  his  knees  looking 
imploringly  into  the  face  of  his  benefactor  as  he 
holds  up  his  shackled  hands  to  have  the  shackles 
removed.  We  were  deeply  impressed  as  we  gazed 
upon  this  monument  as  it  brought  to  our  mind 
the  sacrifices  that  were  made  by  those  who  took 
an  active  part  in  rendering  aid  in  the  removal  of 
these  shackles.  We  thought  of  the  heart  aches, 
the  suffering  and  the  death  of  the  thousands  who 
were  engaged  and  were  the  most  interested  in  hav- 
ing the  flag  of  freedom  float  proudly  over  our  land 
and  bringing  peace,  freedom  and  prosperity  to  the 
Nation. 

The  Tides. 

The  Endeavorers  visiting  here  were  very  much 
interested  in  viewing  the  water  in  the  bay  as  the 
larger  portion  of  them  had  never  seen  an  ocean, 
and  it  was  with  much  interest  they  watched  the 
great  waves  as  they  came  rolling  upon  the  shore. 
The  tides  to  them  was  a  curiosity  as  it  seemed 
difficult  for  them  to  understand  why  it  was  the 
water  ebbed  and  flowed.  As  they  went  down  many 
of  the  little  boats  were  floating  upon  the  water 
near  the  shore;  a  few  hours  later  when  they  re- 
turned the  water  had  receded  and  they  were  quietly 


74  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

resting  on  the  bottom  of  the  bay.  A  spring  of  good 
fresh  water  is  found  sending  out  a  good  volume  of 
water  that  a  short  time  before  was  eight  or  ten  feet 
beneath  the  ocean  waves.  Along  the  sea-shore 
may  be  seen  the  different  shells,  the  sea  weed 
composed  of  the  many  different  plants  and  vegeta- 
tion of  the  mighty  deep.  The  fierce  waves  break 
or  loosen  them  from  their  holdings  and  they  are 
swept  in  huge  quantities  on  the  shore  or  beach. 
Prom  the  oft  and  continued  lashing  of  the  big 
waves  the  beach  becomes  very  compact  and  hard, 
affording  a  grand  place  for  pleasure  riding  that  is 
largely  used  by  persons  wishing  to  get  the  full 
benefit  of  the  pure  ocean  breeze. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  75 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Sea  Shore. 

The  New  England  coast  is  a  rockbound  coast. 
Its  irregular  shore  forming  many  bays,  nooks  and 
creeks  that  present  to  the  beholder  a  very  pictur- 
esque view  of  the  many  different  curiosities.  Oc- 
casionally a  Small  space  is  found  where  the  rocks 
are  absent.  It  is  here  where  the  nice  beaches  are 
found  oftimes  covered  with  the  pure  white  sand, 
affording  nice  places  for  bathing  in  the  surf.  Fre- 
quently after  every  tide  there  is  left  some  speci- 
mens of  the  ocean's  products.  It  may  be  some  large 
fish  or  shark  or  lobster,  crabs  and  horse  shoe,  with 
the  jelly  fish.  Add  to  these  the  many  different  kinds 
of  shell  that  are  scattered  promiscuously  along  the 
beach  and  it  affords  an  attraction  of  deep  interest 
as  we  view  the  many  curiosities  that  are  floated 
ashore  by  the  great  ocean  waves. 

Attractions  Along  the  Coast. 

Here  may  be  found  the  mansions  of  the  well-to-do, 
and  the  ones  that  have  retired  from  the  business 
life  in  which  they  have  laid  by  a  fortune,  and  wish 
to  spend  a  quiet  life  away  from  the  noise  and 
tumult  of  the  busy  city.  Here  may  be  found  the 
home  of  the  millionaires  with  their  costly  mansions 
located  all  along  the  coast  upon  every  little  sightly 
eminence  overlooking  the  broad  ocean.  Here  they 


76  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

can  view  the  many  different  ships  and  steamers  that 
are  continually  making  their  regular  trips  to  and 
fro  between  Boston  and  the  nearby  ports  that  con- 
nect their  commercial  interest  between  England, 
France,  Germany,,  China  and  Japan  and  the  other 
great  nations  of  the  earth.  From  this  coast  there 
is  a  most  magnificent  view  of  the  ocean  and  its 
wild,  broken  and  romantic  appearance  given  it  by 
its  scattering  pines  and  its  rocky  coast  mingled 
with  continual  splashing  of  the  great  waves.  It 
seems  like  a  combination  of  art  and  nature  be- 
tween sea  and  land.  Along  the  coast  leading  from 
the  town  of  Beverly  to  Kettle  Cove  and  Mackerel 
Cove  and  Beverly  Farms  has  often  been  described 
by  strangers  as  having  the  most  attractive  scenery 
of  any  place  they  have  ever  visited,  and  was  chosen 
by  President  Taft  as  his  summer  resort. 

The  Islands  Along  the  Coast. 

We  could  not  give  a  real  description  of  the  out- 
lines of  the  coast  without  a  mention  of  the  islands 
that  are  scattered  along  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
shore.  Among  these  Misery  Island  is  the  largest 
and  located  one  mile  from  the  shore.  It  contains 
one  hundred  acres  of  soil  and  rocks.  Near  the  cen- 
ter of  this  island  is  a  pond  of  fresh  water.  The 
grass  grew  in  abundance  here  and  afforded  fine 
pasturage  for  stock.  Cattle  were  frequently  swum 
over  in  the  spring  and  allowed  to  remain  until  fall, 
when  they  were  taken  back  well  fitted  for  the  butch- 
er's block. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  77 

When  I  first  visited  this  island  there  was  but  one 
house  upon  it,  in  which  there  lived  a  family.  On 
my  last  visit  there  it  was  well  supplied  with  large 
hotels,  summer  resorts  and  many  beautiful  buildings. 
Near  to  this  is  Little  Misery  Island  and  still  fur- 
ther out  into  the  sea  is  located  Bakers  Island.  This 
island  is  favorably  known  by  the  seafaring  men  as 
one  of  great  importance  to  the  sailors  who  sail  their 
crafts  to  and  from  the  different  ports  in  this  vicinity. 
This  island  contains  the  beacon  light  that  is  a 
never  failing  guide  to  the  mariner.  Its  light  is 
different  from  all  the  other  lights  along  the  coast. 
It  contains  a  high  and  substantially  built  tower. 
Near  the  top  of  this  the  light  is  so  arranged  that 
it  keeps  up  a  continuous  travel  around  the  tower, 
occupying  nearly  a  minute  in  making  the  circuit. 
While  the  light  is  in  full  view  it  is  discerned  in  all 
its  brightness;  as  it  travels  around  it  seems  to  the 
eye  to  lose  its  brightness  and  grow  smaller  until  it 
is  entirely  obscured  behind  the  great  tower,  but  soon 
again  conies  in  sight,  continually  growing  in  bright- 
ness until  it  comes  into  full  view.  There  are  a  great 
many  of  the  Government  lights  scattered  along  the 
coast.  This  light  is  so  arranged  that  it  forms  a  key 
to  the  others  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  as  the  others 
may  be  located  from  the  peculiarities  of  this  one. 
A  vessel  coming  in  from  sea,  as  it  comes  in  view 
of  the  different  lights,  very  frequently  mistakes 
one  for  the  other,  for  in  full  view  may  be  the  lights 
of  Manchester,  Beverly,  Salem,  Marblehead  and  sev- 


78  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

eral  others.  Shipwrecks  frequently  occur  through 
mistaking  one  light  for  another.  This  revolving 
light  is  a  great  help  in  defining  the  position  of  the 
different  lights  in  that  vicinity. 

There  are  several  other  islands  near  tins  coast, 
among  which  we  might  name  Lowell  Island,  it  being 
a  favorite  summer  resort.  It  has  a  good  supply  of 
fine  buildings,  supplied  with  numerous  other  attrac- 
tions that  are  held  out  to  the  public  to  induce  them 
to  spend  their  vacation  and  visit  at  some  of  the  fine 
and  stately  hotels  of  this  island  and  take  advantage 
of  the  splendid  opportunity  of  fishing,  hunting  and 
bathing  in  the  exhilarating  waters  of  the  Atlantic. 
Among  the  other  islands  are  the  Little  Misery,  the 
Gooseberry,  the  Chubs  and  others  that  are  situated 
near  the  coast.  As  we  were  reared  only  a  few  miles 
from  this  coast,  we  used  to  make  frequent  visits  to 
these  islands. 

The  Breakers. 

One  of  the  most  dangerous  obstacles  that  the  sailor 
has  to  contend  with  as  he  traverses  the  sea  is  the 
hidden  reefs  of  rocks  that  lie  just  beneath  the  sur- 
face of  the  ocean. 

Such  a  ledge  of  rocks,  some  three  or  four  miles 
from  shore,  is  called  the  Dry  Breakers  because  it 
is  seldom  that  the  entire  reef  is  under  the  ocean 
waves.  Some  five  or  six  miles  farther  out  in  the 
ocean  is  another  reef  known  as  the  Breakers.  This 
is  quite  an  extensive  ledge  of  rocks  that  is  just 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  79 

hidden  beneath  the  waves  that  are  continually  lash- 
ing and  breaking,  sending  up  the  foaming  waters 
that  may  be  seen  from  a  long  distance  in  a  clear  at- 
mosphere. These  hidden  obstacles  plainly  reveal  to 
us  the  hazardous  life  of  the  mariner  as  he  is  ap- 
proaching the  shore.  The  utmost  precaution  is  used 
for  their  protection.  During  the  night  the  lights 
are  brightly  burning.  If  the  weather  is  foggy  the 
peal  of  the  fog  bell  may  be  plainly  heard  sending 
out  its  warning  tones  from  the  various  lighthouses 
warning  them  that  the  breakers  and  the  rock-bound 
coast  is  nigh. 

The  Pilots. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  ships  wishing  to  enter  the 
different  ports  along  the  coast,  their  first  duty  is 
to  run  up  a  flag  as  a  signal  for  a  pilot.  If  one  does 
not  come  to  meet  them  they  come  to  an  anchor 
and  wait  for  the  pilot  boat.  This  is  usually  a  fast 
sailing  boat  that  is  manned  usually  by  about  half  a 
dozen  men  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  coast, 
composed  largely  of  retired  sea  captains  who  have 
spent  a  large  portion  of  their  lives  traversing  the 
mighty  deep  and  have  become  familiar  with  all  ob- 
stacles liable  to  be  in  the  pathway  of  the  approach- 
ing vessel  as  it  steers  into  port.  These  men  are 
formed  into  a  company  that  obligates  itself  to  be 
responsible  for  all  damages  to  vessel  or  cargo  while 
piloting  it  to  its  destination.  Upon  the  arrival  of 
the  pilot  boat  usually  one  of  its  men  goes  aboard 


80  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

of  the  vessel,  when  the  entire  command  is  given  to 
him  by  the  captain,  who  frequently  retires  to  his 
room,  while  the  craft  is  safely  piloted  into  port. 

Manchester  by  the  Sea. 

This  is  a  nice  little  town  by  the  seaside.  It  was 
our  privilege  to  visit  this  town  on  the  day  it  was 
celebrating  its  250th  anniversary  of  the  arrival  of 
the  Arabella  with  Governor  Winthrop  of  the  Colo- 
nist. This  was  a  grand  affair,  witnessed  by  a  large 
gathering  of  people  assembled,  a  repetition  of  the 
great  event  of  250  years  ago  that  founded  upon 
the  seacoast  the  nice  little  town  of  Manchester.  The 
people  of  the  city  of  Salem  and  vicinity  had  ar- 
ranged a  flatboat  upon  which  they  had  constructed 
a  duplicate  of  the  grand  old  ship,  the  Arabella.  It 
was  a  great  curiosity  to  see  this  wonderful  craft 
come  sailing  into  the  harbor  with  its  sails  all  spread 
and  the  grand  old  flag  a-flying  amid  the  booming  of 
cannon  and  with  the  exultations  of  joy  mingled 
with  the  strains  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner." 
The  wild  Indians  skulk  around  in  the  distance. 
The  grea't  crowd  that  gathered  were  very  enthu- 
siastic and  seemed  to  imbibe  the  spirit  of  the  old 
settlers  of  two  and  a  half  centuries  ago  and  were 
active  in  carrying  out  the  program  and  entertaining 
the  large  number  of  visitors  who  had  come  to  their 
town. 

The  Lieuten  ant-Governor  of  the  state  gave  an  able 
and  interesting  address  that  was  well  received  and 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  81 

applauded  by  his  hearers.  While  here  we  came  in 
contact  with  an  old  comrade  who  was  unfortunate 
in  losing  his  sight  by  the  premature  discharge  of  a 
gun.  I  obtained  from  him  the  following  lines  that 
give  a  wonderful  meaning  to  the  life  of  the  unfor- 
tunate blind: 

A  Blind  Man. 

'Mid  sorrow  and  sadness  I'm  destined  to  roam; 
Forlorn  and  forsaken,  I  wander  alone. 
The  works  of  art  and  nature  are  hid  from  my  view; 
The  pleasures  of  life,  I  must  bid  them  adieu. 

I  hear  the  birds,  at  the  gray  of  the  morn, 
Singing  praises  to  God  for  the  day  that  is  born. 
I  long  to  behold  them,  in  their  plumage  so  gay; 
But  alas!   it's  all  dark — for  me  there's  no  day. 

I  feel  the  soft,  gentle  breeze  as  it  sweeps  o'er  the  fields, 
Bearing  the  fragrance  of  flowers  which  they  yield. 
Those   sweet,  fragrant  flowers,   how  delicious   to   me! 
But  their  bright  colors  I  never  shall  see. 

I  bear  the   gurgling  streams   as   they   roll  on  their  way, 
Reflecting  in  their  shadows  the  sun's  bright  ray. 
Their  soft,  gentle  murmurs,  how  delightful  to  me! 
But  their  bright,  sparkling  water  I  never  shall  see. 

I   hear   the   merry   laugh   of  the   gay,   busy   throng; 
Friends  meet  friends  as  they  hurry  along: 
While  I  grope  my  way,  some  shelter  to  find, 
Q  God!  what  an  affliction  it  is  to  be  blind! 

0  God!    I  beseech  Thee,  bestow  on  me  grace 
To  help  and  support  me  in  death's  cold  embrace! 

1  long  to  depart;   set  my  captive  soul  free, 
In  that  spirit  land  where  the  blind  shall  see. 

Rockport. 

Taking  the  train   at   Manchester,   we   soon   were 
on    our   way    toward    Rockport,    which    is    located 


82  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

along  the  coast  near  Cape  Ann.  This  is  a  wonderful 
rocky  country,  some  good  soil  in  proximity  to  the 
coast,  but  the  larger  part  of  the  country  has  its  sur- 
face covered  with  rocks,  some  of  them  the  size 
of  a  good-sized  building.  Rockport  is  a;  nice  little 
town,  having  a  number  of  fine  buildings.  I  made 
a  visit  to  my  cousin,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  32 
years.  We  were  shown  the  nice  G.  A.  B.  hall  that 
had  just  been  completed,  also  made  a  visit  to  the 
old  church  that  had  recently  been  repaired,  and 
presented  a  nice  appearance.  This  is  one  of  the  old 
land  marks  and  noted  for  its  having  a  cannon  ball 
lodged  in  its  steeple  during  an  engagement  in  the 
war  of  1812. 

Bockport  has  a  fine  harbor,  although  faulty  in 
one  respect.  It  was  not  protected  enough  from  the 
storms  and  hearvy  seas  that  swept  in  during  a  storm. 
I  was  informed  that  the  Government  had  made 
an  appropriation  of  $100,000  a  year  and  $700,000 
had  already  been  expended  and  about  300  feet  of 
the  breakwater  had  been  completed  while  the  long 
distance  across  the  bay  was  still  incompleted.  This 
barrier  for  resistance  of  the  waves  was  made  by 
merely  dumping  in  the  rock  in  quantities  sufficient 
to  reach  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  it  being  about 
90  feet  in  depth  at  the  part  already  completed.  It 
has  the  promise  of  being  a  splendid  harbor  when 
completed. 

Fishing  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
cannot  give  a  thorough  and  accurate  account 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  83 

of  the  attractions  along  the  coast  without  giving  a 
slight  account  of  this  pleasant  pastime  that  was  so 
well  appreciated  by  many  of  the  settlers  living  near 
the  coast.  It  was  the  usual  custom  for  the  farmers 
in  our  neighborhood  to  get  up  a  fishing  party  and 
spend  a  day  out  on  the  ocean  fishing  and  bring 
home  a  nice  lot  of  fish.  The  joyful  news  was  al- 
ways hailed  with  delight  when  we  were  informed 
that  we  could  go,  for  we  anticipated  with  delight 
the  pulling  in  of  the  big  fish  and  the  nice  sail  upon 
the  big  waters. 

These  fishing  parties  usually  occurred  soon  as 
the  farmers  completed  the  planting  of  their  crops  in 
the  spring  and  also  again  in  the  fall.  They  were 
looked  upon  as  the  farmers'  gala  days. 

The  neighbors,  after  consulting  each  other,  would 
set  the  day  to  go  a-fishing.  Having  secured  a  nice 
sailing  boat  convenient  for  carrying  the  persons 
wishing  to  go,  and  also  the  skipper,  as  he  was 
called,  who  took  upon  himself  the  full  charge  of  the 
boat  for  which  he  was  paid  the  sum  agreed  upon 
for  the  round  trip.  Early  in  the  morning  we  would 
sail  directly  out  upon  the  sea,  sometimes  stopping 
at  some  favorable  spot,  where  near  some  hidden 
ledge  the  finny  tribe  would  congregate  to  secure 
their  food  from  the  myriads  of  mussels  that  are  fas- 
tened to  the  rocky  ledges  in  the  depths  of  the  sea. 
Previous  to  stopping  the  sails  were  lowered  and  the 
heavy  anchor  was  dropped  into  the  sea.  The  stout 
hook,  well  baited  with  mussels  or  clams,  attached  to 


84  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

a  stout  line  having  for  a  sinker  a  leaden  weight  of 
i'rom  five  to  eight  pounds,  was  let  down  until  it 
touched  the  bottom  oi"  the  ocean.  It  was  then 
raised  up  about  three  feet  and  allowed  to  rest  upon 
the  fingers.  Soon  a  signal  of  a  bite  would  be  felt; 
a  quick  jerk  and  a  steady  hand-over-hand  pull  and 
the  big  fish  is  brought  over  the  side  into  the  boat. 

it  is  an  exhilarating  pastime  when  ten  or  a  dozen 
of  our  neighbors  each  are  pulling  in  the  finny  tribe 
of  the  deep.  My  first  experience  in  this  line  was 
when  I  was  eleven  years  old  and  i  was  fortunate  in 
catching  the  largest  fish  of  any  of  our  party.  It 
was  just  about  as  long  as  I  was  tall.  I  felt  proud 
of  my  success,  for  I  caught  that  day  just  as  many 
fishes  as  I  was  years  old.  We  put  in  only  a  portion 
of  our  time  fishing,  as  we  enjoyed  sailing,  and 
would  frequently  sail  out  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
miles.  We  would  always  visit  some  island  and  en- 
joy the  regular  old  fisherman's  fish  chowder. 

Caught  in  a  Storm  on  the  Atlantic. 

While  yet  in  my  youth,  when  we  were  engaged 
in  one  of  our  fishing  trips,  we  met  with  a  serious 
difficulty.  We  encountered  one  of  those  severe 
thunder  storms  that  frequently  occur  along  the  New 
England  coast.  It  was  accompanied  by  a  very  heavy 
wind  and  terrific  thunder  and  a  regular  downpour 
of  rain.  We  landed  on  one  of  the  islands,  taking 
shelter  in  an  old  unoccupied  building  until  nearly 
dark.  The  storm  having  abated  and  the  anxiety  of 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  85 

the  company  to  go  to  their  homes  being  great,  we 
concluded  we  had  better  start  out.  Our  skipper, 
who  was  an  old  sea  captain  and  a  good  seaman,  said 
if  the  storm  was  no  worse  we  would  not  have  much 
difficulty  in  sailing  our  boat  to  the  landing  at  Bev- 
erly, it  being  about  six  miles  distant,  but  the  wind 
being  contrary  to  the  course  we  wished  to  take,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  "beat"  our  way  in  that  di- 
rection, consequently  it  would  be  a  much  longer 
distance  to  get  into  port.  Our  company  was  com- 
posed of  that  "hoodoo"  number,  thirteen;  never- 
theless there  were  some  grand  good  folks  in  the 
little  crowd. 

The  ocean  was  very  rough  when  we  left  the 
island.  As  we  proceeded  on  our  course  the  velocity 
of  the  wind  increased  and  a  fierce  storm  was  upon 
us.  The  great  waves  rolled  until  they  seemed  moun- 
tains high  and  every  wave  threatened  to  swamp  our 
little  craft.  The  lightning  glimmered  in  all  its  beau- 
tiful grandeur  and  the  deafening  peals  of  thunder 
seemed  to  add  horror  to  the  frightful  scene.  The 
most  of  our  company  were  lying  flat  upon  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat  holding  on  to  whatever  they  could 
grasp.  Some  were  praying,  some  were  groaning, 
some  were  crying  and  all  were  doing  a  wonderful 
lot  of  thinking.  As  we  lay  there  and  looked  up 
to  see  the  high  walls  of  water  on  each  side  of  us,  it 
seemed  as  though  these  great  waves  were  destined 
to  deluge  our  boat.  Just  then,  as  the  lightning 
flashed,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  my  father's  face.  He 


86  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

was  in  the  stern  of  the  boat  and  had  hold  of  the 
helm,  sitting  there  as  pleasantly  as  if  he  were  sitting 
by  his  fireside  in  the  old  arm  chair.  My  father  was 
a  good  man;  he  had  put  his  trust  in  the  Lord,  and 
no  doubt  had  asked  his  Heavenly  Father  for  our 
protection.  I  put  the  utmost  confidence  in  him 
and  when  I  saw  him  sitting  there  without  a  sign 
of  fear,  I  banished  the  thought  that  we  were  to  be 
lost.  When  I  looked  into  his  face  the  fear  for  our 
safety  had  vanished,  for  falher  had  the  helm  and  I 
believed  he  would  take  us  safely  to  the  shore. 
Would  that  we  could  all  confide  in  our  Heavenly 
Father  with  as  much  reliance  as  we  have  in  an 
earthly  parent. 

The  old  sea  captain,  upon  the  approach  of  the 
storm,  gave  father  the  helm  while  he  gave  his  at- 
tention to  the  sails.  After  a  while  the  storm  abated 
and  our  little  craft  bore  us  safely  in  toward  the 
shore  where  we  arrived  at  a  late  hour.  Friends 
were  there  to  meet  us  with  a  warm  reception,  ex- 
pecting that  the  severe  storm  had  caused  the  great 
waves  to  swamp  our  little  boat  and  we  were  all  lost 
in  the  sea.  They  were  really  pleased  to  meet  us  and 
surprised  to  see  the  nice  lot  of  fish  we  brought  home. 
The  old  sea  captain  said  with  his  many  years  of 
sailing  this  was  one  time  he  thought  we  would  all 
go  to  Davy  Jones'  Locker.  The  thirteen  all  arrived 
home  in  safety,  but  several  of  them  said  it  was  the 
last  time  they  wished  or  even  intended  to  have  an- 
other similar  experience. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  87 

After  an  elapse  of  some  forty  years,  it  was  our 
pleasure  to  visit  again  the  old  neighborhood  and 
we  found  that  of  the  thirteen  who  composed  this 
eventful  fishing  party  only  one  besides  myself  was 
then  living. 

Cape  Ann. 

Along  the  coast  a  few  miles  from  the  village  of 
Kockport  is  what  is  known  as  Cape  Ann.  All  along 
this  coast  it  is  bounded  with  irregular  ledges  of 
granite  rock.  Some  of  these  are  scattered  over  the 
surface  adjacent  in  such  numbers  that  a  pedestrian 
must  walk  on  their  surface  if  he  wishes  to  travel  in 
that  vicinity.  Some  are  extremely  rough  and  ir- 
regular, extending  out  their  rough  and  high  points 
along  the  edge  of  the  ocean,  while  others  present 
a1  bold  front  and  more  regular  surface  that  rises 
high  above  its  surroundings  that  present  to  it  a 
wild  and  romantic  scenery.  Standing  upon  one  of 
these  promontories  there  is  in  full  view  with  its 
many  attractions  the  different  ships  and  vessels  as 
they  are  constantly  passing,  showing  the  different 
flags  and  the  various  nations  of  the  world.  As  we 
gaze  upon  the  da-shing  waves,  sending  up  the  foamy 
waters  and  listen  to  the  breakers  and  dashing  waves 
as  they  force  themselves  against  the  rock-bound 
coast,  it  produces  a  sense  of  awe  and  grandeur. 

On  a  level  plain  that  was  strewn  thickly  with 
large  rocks  that  seemed  as  if  they  might  have 
dropped  down  upon  the  ground,  covering  it  thickly, 


00  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

was  one  that  weighed  from  fifteen  to  twenty  tons 
that  was  evenly  balanced  between  two  other  rocks; 
a  child,  or  even  the  wind,  could  move  it  back  and 
forth  some  two  inches.  This  was  called  the  bal- 
ancing rock  and  a  singular  freak  of  nature. 

The  stone  quarries  near  here  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  furnished  employment  to  a  large  number  of 
men,  getting  out  different  patterns  from  the  gran- 
ite rock  that  was  sent  away  to  other  ports.  While 
there  we  saw  two  large  pillars,  twenty-five  feet  in 
length,  five  feet  at  their  base,  three  and  a  half  at 
the  top.  These  were  grooved  from  top  to  base,  and 
the  sum  of  $3,000  each  would  be  received  on  de- 
livery to  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Other  designs 
furnished  employment  to  the  many  workmen  em- 
ployed at  this  place. 

The  Devil's  Tracks  and  Den. 

While  traveling  in  from  the  shore  we  find  more 
of  Nature 's  curiosities.  The  surface  is  much  broken, 
covered  with  broken  ledges  of  rock,  some  of  im- 
mense size,  some  presenting  a  very  rough  and  un- 
even surface,  others  ha^ve  a  large,  somewhat  smooth 
exterior.  Across  the  surface  of  one  of  these  are 
plainly  visible  three  distinct  tracks  of  a  very  large 
human  shaped  foot  that  have  the  appearance  of 
being  made  when  the  rock  was  in  a  soft  condition 
like  mud.  The  tracks  are  about  three  feet  part, 
leaving  a  good  imitation  of  some  large  person  walk- 
in  across  the  surface  when  the  rock  was  soft.  These 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  89 

tracks   always   went   by   the   name   of  the   Devil's 
Tracks. 

A  short  distance  from  the  latter  place  was  a 
huge  ledge  of  rock  extending  upward.  Against  this 
large  rock  was  a  large  flat  one  leaning  against  it, 
making  a  cave  in  which  a  party  of  us  once  took 
shelter  during  a  storm.  This  cave,  with  all  its 
peculiarities  and  attractions,  was  given  the  name 
Devils'  Den. 


90  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Visiting  in  the  Vicinity  of  Old  Home. 

Leaving  the  seacoast  in  the  vicinity  of  Miugoes 
Beach  we  pass  through  Mackerel  Cove,  Annisquam, 
and  Montserat,  and  next  arrive  at  Wenham  Neck, 
where  we  saw  the  old  school  house  where  we  had 
spent  many  pleasant  hours  attending  school.  Mem- 
ories of  the  bygone  days  come  vividly  to  mind  as 
we  stopped  in  front  of  the  old  familiar  farm  houses 
and  were  kindly  greeted  by  strange  faces  instead 
of  the  welcome  reception  by  old  friends.  A  genera- 
tion had  passed  and  gone  to  the  great  beyond.  Oc- 
casionally one  would  be  found,  but  the  greater  por- 
tion were  absent  from  their  old  home  and  only  a 
very  few  of  my  old  acquaintances  could  be  found. 
All  the  neighbors  who  were  heads  of  families  had 
passed  away.  Certainly  it  did  not  appear  natural 
as  we  approached  their  homes  to  be  met  by  those 
who  were  strangers  to  us. 

The  Myopia  Club. 

A  short  distance  from  my  old  home  was  a  nice 
farm  that  was  owned  and  farmed  by  a  man  who  was 
president  of  the  Essex  County  Agricultural  Society 
for  quite  a  number  of  years.  He  seemed  to  be 
foremost  in  promoting  the  interests  of  that  society, 
being  college  bred  and  a  good  worker  for  the  cause ; 
but  like  the  most  of  the  other  old  settlers,  Father 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  91 

Time  had  overtaken  him  and  he  had  passed  away. 
After  his  death  the  farm  was  sold  and  passed  to 
other  hands.  It  was  purchased  by  a  company  known 
as  the  Myopia  Club.  This  was  composed  of  young 
men  from  the  neighboring  cities,  principally  sons  of 
millionaires  or  the  very  rich  class  of  people.  They 
remodeled  the  old  farm  house,  turning  it  into  a 
grand  mansion  or  hotel.  New  barns  were  built  and 
old  ones  remodeled.  The  broad  acres  were  stocked 
with  sixty  horses  and  sixty  dogs.  Many  of  these 
were  imported,  being  of  the  old  English  hunting 
stock.  Six  men  were  busily  engaged  in  taking 
charge  of  the  horses  and  two  having  the  care  of 
the  dogs.  The  horses  were  in  training  each  day 
and  being  taught  to  jump  fences  with  riders  on  their 
backs.  The  dogs  were  taken  from  their  quarters 
for  exercise,  one  attendant  in  advance  on  horse- 
back and  the  other  in  the  rear  with  a  long  whip. 
They  sometimes  were  taken  many  miles  to  get  to 
the  starting  point  that  the  company  had  previously 
agreed  upon  where  they  were  to  have  the  next 
hunt. 

When  they  first  starter!  their  hunting  they  let 
loose  a  lively  fox  and  one-half  of  the  hounds  were 
put  on  the  trail.  These  were  immediately  followed 
by  the  mounted  riders,  oftentimes  accompanied  by 
the  ladies.  The  fox  would  sro  over  walls  and  fences. 
Here  the  inmpinsr  qualities  of  the  horses  were  put 
to  a  severe  test,  as  the  fox  would  sometimes  sret 
several  miles  from  their  starting  point  and  go 


92  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

through  the  fields  of  grain  or  other  crops.  The 
horses  were  supposed  to  keep  near  the  hounds.  As 
a  result  oftentimes  the  crops  were  greatly  injured 
if  not  hopelessly  destroyed.  In  order  to  make  this 
matter  all  satisfactory  with  the  owners  of  the 
grounds  a  man  followed  with  a  purse  of  money  and 
immediately  pays  all  damages  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  parties.  Some  who  would  not  take  any  dam- 
ages, their  names  were  taken  and  an  invitation 
given  to  attend  the  next  hunt  and  enjoy  the  banquet 
that  was  given  after  the  game  was  captured. 

This  banquet  was  composed  of  all  the  rare  deli- 
cacies of  the  season  that  could  be  procured  and  a 
good  supply  of  wines  and  liquors  were  also  in- 
cluded. The  person  receiving  the  invitation  was 
supplied  with  a  riding  horse  and  all  the  equipment 
necessary  to  enjoy  the  hunt  and  the  banquet  with 
the  invigorators  thrown  in.  We  learned  that  some 
of  the  old  farmers  enjoyed  it  so  well  they  would 
get  real  happy  on  these  occasions. 

After  the  first  set  of  hounds  were  fatigued  the 
next  relay  was  put  on  when  the  poor,  tired  fox  was 
soon  captured,  after  which  the  festivities  com- 
menced. The  fox  sometimes  ran  so  far  that  an- 
other plan  was  used.  A  horse  and  rider  would  start 
out  dragging  over  the  ground  a  bag  filled  with  fox- 
scent  attached  to  a  long  rope.  The  hounds  would 
readily  follow  this.  Thus  a  favorable  route  could 
be  picked  out,  as  they  knew  where  the  hunt  would 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC  93 

terminate  and  seemed  more  favorable  in  promoting 
their  amusement. 

The  Polo  Game  and  Shirt  Race. 

There  were  several  other  games  that  were  played 
here  for  exercise  and  amusement,  among  them  was 
the  polo  game.  This  game  was  played  on  their 
grounds  near  the  depot  that  they  purchased  at  an 
excessive  price  and  fitted  for  their  favorite  game. 
Whenever  a  hunt  or  a  game  of  any  kind  was  to 
come  off  it  was  previously  advertised  in  the  papers 
and  the  public  invited  to  attend.  Thus  large  crowds 
were  usually  in  attendance  and  esteemed  it  a  pleas- 
ure to  witness  these  exciting  games.  The  polo  game 
was  played  on  horseback.  Each  rider  was  furnished 
with  a  long-handled  mallet  and  similar  to  the  foot- 
ball game,  one  side  would  work  lustily  against  the 
other  and  required  expert  horsemanship  to  carry 
out  their  designs  when  the  riders  from  the  different 
sides  were  making  a  grand  rush  to  hit  the  ball  a 
crack,  to  send  it  favorable  to  their  side. 

Another  exciting  game  was  what  was  called  the 
shirt  race  that  always  carried  with  it  the  applause 
of  the  multitude.  A  row  of  horsemen  might  be 
seen  in  line  just  inside  the  stone  fence  of  a  few 
acre  field,  while  on  the  opposite  side  would  be 
standing  a  row  of  young  ladies  each  with  a  nice 
laundered  shirt.  The  game  was  the  one  that  would 
ride  across  the  field,  take  the  shirt  from  the  hand 
of  the  young  lady,  put  it  on  and  button  it,  and  get 


94  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

back  to  the  starting  point  first,  where  they  all 
started  at  the  same  time,  was  declared  the  winner 
of  the  prize.  The  prize  was  a  nice  gold  watch,  a 
purse  of  $100,  or  something  similar.  This  was  a 
very  exciting  race  and  created  a  fund  of  merri- 
ment. 

Visiting  the  Old  Home. 

Back  again  to  the  house  where  I  was  born.  What 
a  wonderful  change  time  had  wrought  during  the 
thirty-one  years  of  my  absence.  Many  of  the  old 
trees  were  gone,  others  had  grown  into  large  trees. 
The  buildings  had  changed  and  a  strange  face  met 
me  at  the  door.  I  was  welcomed  into  the  old  sitting 
room,  but  no  mother  was  there,  no  father  was  there, 
no  sister,  no  brother,  for  they  had  all  gone.  I  was 
ushered  into  the  parlor  chamber  when  the  thought 
of  the  scene  of  many  years  before  occurred  to  me, 
for  here  was  where  I  was  summoned  when  seven 
years  of  age  to  appear  at  her  bedside,  and  well  do  I 
remember  as  she  took  my  little  hand  in  hers,  and 
pla-cing  the  other  upon  my  head,  she  commended  me 
to  the  allwise  Being  who  governs  all,  pleading  for 
His  care  and  protection  and  requesting  that  I  so 
live  that  I  would  "meet  her  in  heaven."  These 
were  the  parting  words  of  my  mother.  I  cried  my- 
self to  sleep  that  night  when  told  that  mother  would 
soon  die.  The  next  day  my  mother  was  dead,  but 
her  last  request  has  never  been  forgotten  and  my 
desire  is  to  see  that  it  is  fulfilled.  Though  many 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  95 

years  have  flown,  it  is  fresh  in  my  memory  yet. 

I  visited  the  places  where  we  spent  so  many  pleas- 
ant hours  with  sister  and  brother,  out  in  the  orchard 
where  we  hurried  to  get  to  our  favorite  tree,  in  the 
meadow  as  we  gleefully  gathered  the  berries  along 
the  wall,  over  in  the  woodland  where  we  gathered 
the  nuts  and  hunted  the  squirrels,  in  the  pond  where 
we  waded  to  get  the  sweet-scented  lilies,  and  gather 
the  flowers  along  the  hillside  and  by  the  side  of  the 
little  river  where  we  spent  so  many  pleasant  hours 
fishing  or  bathing  in  the  crystal  stream.  With  feel- 
ings of  sadness  we  looked  back  upon  the  shadowy 
scene  and  note  the  loved  ones  as  we  accompanied 
them  to  church,  at  school  and  around  the  pleasant 
fireside,  with  their  faces  all  gleaming  with  joy  and 
gladness,  but  who  now  are  numbered  among  the 
past.  It  is  through  the  tender  mercies  of  a  kind 
Providence  that  I,  as  a  remnant  of  a  once  happy 
family,  am  spared  to  tell  the  tale  and  keep  alive  the 
memories  of  those  we  loved. 

Visit  to  the  Cemetery. 

After  perambulating  around  over  a  large  portion 
of  the  old  farm  we  went  down  the  hill,  crossed  the 
meadow  and  the  beautiful  little  river  that  was  as- 
sociated with  so  many  pleasant  memories  from  early 
childhood  that  now  seemed  almost  like  a  dream  of 
the  past.  We  then  ascended  the  hillside  through  the 
timber,  crossed  the  level  plain  and  here  entered  the 
''City  of  the  Dead."  But  what  a  change  had  taken 


96  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC  TO  THE   PACIFIC 

place  since  I  had  left.  A  generation  had  passed 
away  and  were  resting  in  this  cemetery.  Here  we 
gazed  upon  the  names  of  our  old  neighbors  and 
friends  that  we  had  so  often  met  and  with  whom  we 
were  so  intimately  acquainted.  They  were  now 
resting  in  company  with  our  dear  and  loving  friends. 
After  wandering  around  looking  at  the  tombstones 
of  the  departed  ones,  I  became  wearied  and  stretched 
myself  on  the  grass  in  front  of  my  parents'  graves, 
and  memories  of  the  past  flitted  up  through  my 
mind.  I  thought  of  father,  mother,  sister  and  brother 
and  the  many  friends  and  associates  who  were  now 
lying  a-11  around  me,  and  the  thought  occurs:  Why 
am  I  spared?  The  answer  came:  Your  mission  in 
life  is  not  filled. 

Nearby  stood  a  tombstone  upon  which  the  follow- 
ing epitaph  was  written: 

"As  you  are  now,  so  once  was  I; 
As  I  am  now,  so  you  must  be. 
Prepare  for  Death  and  follow  me." 

This  grand  old  man  had  passed  away  but  he  had 
left  a  pleasant  memory,  one  that  will  be  cherished 
and  kept  in  remembrance  long  after  he  had  bid 
adieu  and  ceased  to  be  an  actor  in  the  busy  scenes 
of  life.  While  we  were  still  musing  on  the  things 
of  the  past  and  hardly  realizing  that  life  and  death 
were  in  such  close  proximity,  a  loud  voice  was 
heard  calling  me.  The  friend  where  I  was  stopping 
sent  his  hired  man  and  tea,m  to  take  me  to  his 
home.  When  we  passed  along  the  highway  that 
I  had  so  often  traveled  we  were  greeted  with 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  97 

strange  faces  instead  of  the  familiar  ones  of  our 
boyhood  days. 

I  thought  of  the  many  acquaintances  and 
friends  that  had  passed  away  with  the  thought  of 
another  inscription  I  noticed  on  another  tombstone 
that  read  thus:  ''Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in 
the  Lord."  I  thought  of  the  best  citizens  among 
the  residents  where  we  had  made  our  home  and 
those  who  had  been  held  up  as  a  good  example 
for  any  young  person  to  follow.  .  I  could  con- 
sider it  in  no  other  light  than  in  the  belief 
that  the  ones  that  had  died  in  the  Lord,  who 
had  put  their  trust  in  Hipn  and  accepted  Him  as 
their  guide  and  Saviour  were  altogether  the  best 
citizens,  the  best  neighbors,  the  best  friends,  and 
the  most  joyous  and  happy  people  that  inhabit  our 
land. 

Visit  My  Native  Town  Wenham. 

The  next  day  we  made  a  visit  to  the  village  of 
Wenham  near  where  I  was  born.  There  had  been 
a  noted  change  since  we  had  left.  Many  of  the  old 
trees  had  been  removed,  buildings  were  gone. 

The  old  church  that  had  stood  for  half  a  century 
was  still  presenting  a  cheerful  aspect.  I  was  in- 
terested in  this  for  I  had  helped  raise  it,  and  it  was 
where  we  used  to  attend  church.  It  was  raised  in 
the  old  fashioned  way.  The  whole  side  went  up  at 
one  time.  A  large  rope  and  tackle  block  were 
used,  the  big  oxen  attached  to  the  rope  and  the 
boys  were  ordered  to  ''take  hold  behind  the  oxen 


98  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

and  pull."  The  oxen  pulled  and  the  boys  pulled 
and  the  great  heavy  side  of  the  building  kept  going 
up  until  the  great  posts  entered  the  mortices  in 
the  sill,  when  the  whole  side  was  up  to  its  place. 
The  old  fashioned  raising  was  rather  a  pleasant 
affair  for  usually  the  whole  neighborhood  were  in- 
vited, and  were  furnished  with  a  good  substantial 
dinner.  The  boys  used  to  like  to  go  and  see  the 
great  buildings  go  up  whenever  their  parents  would 
permit,,  though  the  dinner  was  the  most  interesting 
part  to  thqm.  There  were  about  fifty  boys  that 
pulled  on  the  rope  behind  the  oxen  when  this 
church  was  raised. 

We  noticed  many  changes  in  the  roads  and  build- 
ings and  the  street  cars  were  running  along  the 
wagon  road  that  leads  to  the  city.  Near  this  vil- 
lage is  a  nice  little  lake  of  excellent  water.  This 
lake  is  quite  an  attraction  and  a  very  favorite 
resort  for  the  tourist  wishing  to  view  the  beautiful 
scenery  and  see  the  beautiful  mansions  and  homes 
that  are  erected  along  its  borders.  "We  recall  many 
scenes  that  occurred  while  we  in  our  boyhood  days 
gathered  here  with  our  companions  and  spent  the 
pleasant  hours  in  hunting,  fishing  and  bathing  and 
enjoying  the  fascinating  sports  incident  to  a  young 
and  joyous  life.  The  water  from  this  lake  is  now 
used  to  supply  two  cities  some  five  or  six  miles 
away.  And  the  joyous  sports  that  we  so  much 
enjoyed  while  a  boy  have  all  been  side  tracked,  so 
the  little  boy  of  today  has  to  seek  other  surround- 
ings for  enjoyment. 


100  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

CHAPTER  X. 
Eastern  Washington. 

After  residing  about  twenty-four  years  in  the 
State  of  Iowa,  we  moved  to  Eastern  Washington 
in  the  spring  of  1902.  We  found  a  vast  tract  of 
uncultivated  land  in  Adams  County.  This  land  is 
largely  covered  with  sage  brush  and  having  a  very 
fertile  soil,  after  it  is  broken  up  and  cultivated 
properly  produces  good  crops  of  various  kinds, 
wheat  being  the  prevailing  crop  raised  here.  This 
often  produces  bountifully  and  is  relied  upon  as 
a  source  of  much  profit. 

Where  the  vast  plains  of  sagebrush  existed  upon 
our  first  arrival  there,  it  has  since  largely  dis- 
appeared, being  replaced  with  nice  cultivated  fields 
and  dotted  over  with  the  humble  homes  of  the  home- 
steaders who  have  taken  advantage  of  the  generosity 
of  our  good  old  " Uncle  Sam"  in  order  to  procure 
a  home.  Although  they  have  to  endure  the  in- 
conveniences and  privations  of  pioneer  life  that 
are  oftentimes  very  tedious  and  almost  unbearable, 
they  are  blessed  with  the  consoling  thought  that 
they  have  a  free  and  unencumbered  home  as  the 
result  of  their  persevering  industry. 

Many  are  the  poor  men  that  have  improved  these 
lands  that  are  now  in  comfortable  circumstances 
and  are  thinking  of  retiring  to  a  pleasant  home 
on  "Easy  Street."  When  the  lands  become  culti- 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  101 

vated  and  happy  homes  abound,  beautiful  towns 
spring  up  and  it  soon  seems  like  an  old  settled 
country;  and  one  grand  thing  predominates,  the 
people  are  joyous  and  happy. 

Shooting  Spring  and  the  Broncho. 

About  nine  miles  from  where  we  took  up  our 
homestead  is  situated  a  fine  large  spring  known  as 
Shooting  Spring,  though  on  the  map  it  is  called 
Dead  Horse  Spring.  While  the  Government 
troops  were  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians  who  arrived 
at  the  spring  first,  the  Indians,  knowing  that  there 
was  no  other  water  near  and  that  the  command 
would  be  required  to  have  water,  they  proposed  to 
delay  the  troops  in  pursuit  by  slaughtering  several 
of  their  old  horses  and  leaving  them  in  the  spring 
and  contaminating  the  water  with  their  blood.  It 
became  necessary  to  clean  the  water  from  the 
spring  before  their  stock  could  be  watered.  While 
this  delay  was  made  the  Indians  took  the  advantage 
of  making  their  escape  to  the  mountains. 

This  spring  was  largely  used  by  the  settlers  and 
was  also  a  fine  retreat  for  the  thirsty  wild  or  range 
horses  that  for  many  years  have  been  so  numerous. 
The  rearing  of  these  range  horses  proved  to  be  a 
very  profitable  business  to  some  of  the  early  set- 
tlers, as  their  pasturage  was  free  both  summer  and 
winter.  They  were  branded  and  turned  out  to  roain 
as  they  pleased. 

A  general  round  up  of  the  stock  belonging  to  the 
different  parties  occurred  about  twice  a  year.  At 


102  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

this  time  the  famous  cowboys  had  an  opportunity 
to  put  in  their  experience.  They  would  start  out 
forming  a  circle  around  many  miles  of  country  and 
drive  in  all  the  horses  that  could  be  found  running 
on  the  range.  Frequently  at  one  of  these  round- 
ups would  be  gathered  in  several  thousand  head  of 
horses  and  colts.  These  were  placed  in  a  strong 
corral  and  such  as  were  ready  for  the  market  were 
caught  and  haltered  and  fastened  to  a  stout  fence 
and  allowed  to  remain  about  twenty-four  hours. 
After  this  treatment  they  were  careful  about  pulling 
at  the  halter  and  one  of  the  first  steps  toward  being 
broken  was  already  acquired.  These  horses  are 
nearly  all  caught  with  a  lasso.  An  adept  with  a 
rope  can  catch  with  ease  any  horse  he  chooses 
from  a  large  herd.  After  being  caught  they  are 
thrown  upon  the  ground  and  haltered  or  bridled. 
When  they  get  up  they  are  saddled  and  much  fun 
is  often  produced  in  seeing  the  cowboy  and  the 
bucking  broncho  giving  his  first  experience  in 
carrying  a  rider.  The  colts  are  caught  and  branded 
and  all  others  not  wanted  are  turned  out  and  they 
wander  away  in  little  droves,  not  being  molested 
until  the  next  round-up.  They  generally  keep  in 
good  condition  and  make  a  very  hardy  serviceable 
animal  of  wonderful  endurance. 

The  tide  of  emigration  that  is  ever  pouring  into 
this  country  has  nearly  spoiled  the  range  and  it  is 
now  fast  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  im- 
proved breeds  of  horses  are  largely  introduced. 
That  is  a  grand  step  toward  the  improvement  of 


FROM  THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  103 

horses,  and  present  indications  are  that  the  real 
broncho  will  soon  be  classed  among  the  old  fash- 
ioned things  of  the  past. 

Dead  Man's  Lake. 

In  a  northwesterly  direction  some  ten  miles  from 
where  we  took  our  homestead  is  a  succession  of 
lakes.  During  a  very  wet  or  rainy  season  they  are 
so  arranged  that  the  whole  five  of  them  seem  to  be 
in  one  continuous  lake  or  nearly  so.  They  vary 
in  size  from  one  or  two  acres  to  several  acres.  They 
have  an  irregular  wall  of  stone  a  large  portion  of 
the  way  around  them.  Some  of  these  cliffs  are 
hundreds  of  feet  in  height,  forming  a  stupendous 
wall  extending  along  by  the  side  of  these  lakes. 
From  the  top  of  one  of  these  cliffs  the  land  extends 
back  quite  a  distance,  forming  a  nice  plateau  of 
level  land  extending  back  into  the  interior. 

Several  years  ago  a  man  was  out  hunting  for 
stock  and  was  late  in  returning  to  camp.  In  the 
darkness  he  is  supposed  to  have  lost  his  way,  and 
the  animal  he  was  riding,  it  is  said,  was  defective 
in  sight,  for  he  rode  fearlessly  across  the  level 
prairie  until  he  reached  the  steep  cliffs,  when  he 
made  the  desperate  plunge,  nearly  200  feet,  upon 
the  rocks  below,  instantly  blotting  out  the  lives  of 
both  animal  and  rider.  A  rough  stone  monument 
is  erected  on  the  spot  where  this  fearful  leap  was 
made  and  this  sad  tragedy  occurred. 

In  the  dry  season  the  water  settles  away  into  the 
different  diminutive  lakes  or  ponds,  making  a 


A   FATAL   PLUNGE. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  105 

favorite  haunt  for  the  water  fowl  that  are  often 
found  here  in  large  numbers. 

Prosperous  Towns  of  Adams  County. 

In  this  part  of  the  state  the  climate  is  quite 
different  from  Western  Washington.  The  climate 
is  varied  by  means  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  that 
shelters  the  adjoining  country;  also  the  cold  winds 
that  traverse  the  plains  or  the  level  land  of  the 
West  by  the  Saddle  Mountains. 

The  people  are  generally  prosperous  and  the 
country  is  settled  with  a  thriving  industrious  set  of 
good  natured  people,  while  the  spirit  of  progression 
can  be  noticed  on  every  hand.  The  bountiful  crops 
under  the  care  of  the  industrious  farmer  have  paved 
the  way  to  prosperity  that  ever  awaits  the  persever- 
ing and  industrious  tiller  of  the  soil. 

Every  little  distance  nice  towns  have  sprung  up 
along  the  line  of  the  railroads.  Othello,  the  division 
station  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  road 
that  runs  through  this  region,  promises  to  be  a  town 
of  some  note.  Hatton,  Cunningham,,  Lind,  Paha  and 
Ritzville  are  nice  thrifty  towns  on  the  Northern 
Pacific  and  are  fast  progressing  toward  large  cities. 
Lind  has  the  advantage  of  being  situated  on  both 
of  the  above  roads  and  has  a  bright  and  prosperous 
future,  that  is  foreseen  by  the  business  men  and  is 
rapidly  improving,  and  is  destined  to  be  one  of  the 
finest,  most  prosperous,  wide  awake  cities  of  the 
West.  The  enormous  quantity  of  wheat  sold  here, 


106  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

and  its  public  schools  forms  the  foundation  for  its 
future  prosperity. 

Mirage  and  Mountain  Sunset. 

The  scenery  of  the  Western  plains  is  oftimes 
beautiful.  The  far  distant  objects  are  plainly  seen 
for  many  miles  in  the  clear  atmosphere.  Another 
curiosity  is  frequently  seen  in  the  early  morning, 
the  time  mirages  usually  appear.  There  may  be  seen 
pictures  of  beautiful  lakes  skirted  with  their  sur- 
roundings, sometimes  towns  and  houses  of  the  set- 
tlers are  pictured  upon  the  sky.  Buildings  that 
are  hidden  from  view  generally,  at  the  time  of  the 
mirage,  are  plainly  visible  and  appear  three  times 
their  usual  height. 

But  the  beautiful  sunset  should  not  be  overlooked. 
The  sun  is  casting  its  slanting  rays  across  the  sur- 
rounding landscape.  The  mountain  seems  aglow 
with  its  radiance.  Soon  the  scene  changes,  a  dark 
and  gloomy  aspect  is  pervading  the  base  of  the 
mountain  and  the  scene  is  fast  being  transformed 
from  light  to  darkness  as  the  shadows  gradually 
creep  toward  the  mountain  peak.  The  foothills 
with  their  belt  of  evergreens  are  fast  disappearing 
and  the  deep  fissures  in  the  mountain's  side  are 
now  forming  images  of  huge  giants,  lions,  bears, 
deer,  all  the  four-footed  beasts  of  the  forest  seem 
to  be  clustered  around  to  help  produce  variety  in 
the  scene,  yet  far  above  the  ice  and  the  snow  still 
glitters  in  the  sunshine.  All  Nature  is  retiring, 
darkness  is  now  setting  over  the  mountain  top,  but 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  107 

the  peak  still  lingers,  standing  out  boldly  against 
the  crimson  sky.  The  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
are  just  leaving.  The  variegated  colors  of  the 
mountain  peak  are  vanished  and  all  are  enshrouded 
in  a  thick  veil  of  darkness.  Night  is  now  upon  us 
and  amid  the  silence  and  stillness  the  world  seems 
to  be  wrapt  in  slumber,  only  to  be  aroused  by  the 
hoot  of  the  owl  or  the  howl  of  the  wolf  who  take 
advantage  of  the  darkness  to  secure  their  prey. 

Western  Washington. 

In  journeying  toward  the  Western  coast  many 
objects  of  interest  are  observed.  The  thrifty  farmers 
with  their  fine  herds  of  cattle  and  horses  and  their 
pleasant  surroundings  of  nice  cozy  dwellings  and 
barns  and  situated  near  the  beautiful  orchard  laden 
with  fruit,  are  among  the  attractive  features  of  the 
observer.  Nice  thrifty  towns  are  passed  with  a 
busy  people  all  on  the  alert,  trying  to  catch  the 
other  dollar  that  they  haven't  got. 

As  we  approach  nearer  to  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains beautiful  hay  farms  are  passed  as  the  product 
here  seems  to  be  enormous.  There  is  also  a  larger 
supply  of  timber  as  we  progress  up  the  mountain 
road  which  winds  along  by  the  side  of  the  stream 
that  is  making  a  rapid  descent  toward  us,  until 
we  reach  the  divide  or  top  of  the  mountain  range, 
when  the  water  courses  down  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection. Large  bodies  of  timber  exist,  much  of 
which  is  seriously  damaged  by  fire.  The  Hot 
Springs  are  located  in  the  mountains  where  is 


108  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

erected  a  sanitarium  for  the  treatment  of  invalids. 
Passing  down  the  mountain  grade  we  come  to  nice 
towns  where  are  erected  the  great  sawmills  that 
are  converting  the  numerous  logs  into  lumber.  We 
pass  through  several  fine  towns  before  we  reach 
the  City  of  Seattle. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  109 

CHAPTER  XL 
Seattle. 

Seattle  may  well  be  styled  the  New  i'ork  oi  liie 
Faeinc  Coast.  Situated  on  the  Sound,  furnishing 
a  grand  outlet  for  the  large  steamers  and  vessels 
which  carry  their  products  of  the  different  nations 
to  all  parts  of  the  world,  furnishing  one  of  the 
grandest  harbors  and  numbered  among  the  greatest 
trading  points  of  the  whole  continent. 

Seattle  at  the  present  time  contains  about  290,000 
inhabitants,  has  61  public  schools,  more  than  37,000 
children  of  school  age,  125  churches.  Its  42-story 
building  is  a  wonder  to  all  observers.  Seattle  has 
75  newspapers,  employs  25,000  persons  in  its  man- 
ufacturing establishments.  It  has  six  railroads  and 
150  miles  of  electric  railroads.  It  now  covers  an 
area  of  94  square  miles. 

Seattle  has  a  large  line  of  ships  plying  between 
this  point  and  the  principal  ports  of  the  East  and 
Europe;  also  a  large  line  of  steamers  handling 
freight  and  passengers  to  the  numerous  other  ports. 
The  traffic  in  timber  and  lumber  is  enormous.  A 
visit  to  the  forests  would  convince  anyone  that 
the  supply  seemed  practically  inexhaustible. 

The  minerals  are  also  great.  The  mines  in  which 
the  Seattle  mine  owners  are  connected  furnish  a 
revenue  of  several  million  dollars  annuallv.  These 


110  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

help  make  millionaires,  of  which  the  city  boasts  of 
having  quite  a  large  number. 

.Puget  Sound. 

There  probably  is  nothing  among  ihe  pleasant 
surroundings  of  the  Northwest  that  is  viewed  witii 
greater  interest  than  the  briny  waters  and  ihe  pic- 
turesque surroundings  oi'  Puget  Sound.  Tnis  is  an 
inlet  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  extending  into  the  land 
for  more  than  150  miles.  It  has  a  very  irregular 
shore  line,  being  filled  with  many  points  and  in- 
dentures that  form  a  large  number  of  bays  and 
coves,  making  the  total  shore  line  of  its  waters  ex- 
tend to  a  distance  of  more  than  1,500  miles. 

The  tide  waters  of  this,  the  Inland  Sea  as  it  is 
often  called,  are  ever  rising  and  falling  along  its 
shores,  generally  rising  from  ten  to  fourteen  feet 
and  sometimes  several  feet  higher.  Along  the  banks 
have  sprung  up  several  nice  and  prosperous  cities 
and  towns  that,  together  with  the  fine  residences 
and  beautiful  homes  that  are  so  pleasantly  situated 
along  its  shores,  form  the  dwelling  places  of  between 
300,000  and  400,000  people. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  islands  lying  here, 
dotting  the  landscape  from  the  shores  of  this  fine 
body  of  water.  There  are  some  forty  of  these  that 
vary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  a  nice  large  tract 
that  furnish  beautiful  farms  that  are  highly  im- 
proved with  many  fine  residences  that  overlook  the 
Sound  with  all  its  attractions.  The  steamers,  vessels, 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  111 

boats  and  launches  are  ever  sailing  to  and  from  the 
harbors  that  they  wish  to  enter  or  leave.  The  com- 
fortable homes  that  are  so  beautifully  arranged 
along  the  shores  often  seem  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  their  attractions.  We  view  with  wonder  and  de- 
light the  ever  moving,  rippling  waves  with  the  great 
ships  passing  and  repassing,  bringing  before  us  a 
grand  and  unobstructed  view  of  nature  and  art.  The 
land  is  generally  very  fertile  and  produces  largely 
of  the  various  products  adapted  to  this  climate.  In 
its  natural  state  the  land  is  mostly  covered  with  a 
good  growth  of  fir,  pine  and  cedar  trees  that  grad- 
ually disappear  as  the  settler  progresses  in  making  a 
home. 

Tacoma. 

Taking  the  steamer  at  the  wharf  in  Seattle  we 
have  a  very  pleasant  trip  to  Tacoma.  This  is  a  nice, 
wide-awake  city,  and  is  largely  interested  in  ship- 
ping, having  an  enormous  trade  in  lumber  and 
building  material.  Tacoma  is  situated  near  the 
terminus  of  the  Sound  and  where  its  waters  seem 
to  flow  farther  into  the  interior  of  the  state  than  at 
any  other  point.  Like  most  of  the  large  towns  on 
this  coast  where  we  have  visited  it  has  an  undulating 
surface.  In  traveling  some  of  the  walks  we  dis- 
covered we  had  to  do  some  uphill  business.  The 
general  aspect  of  the  town  is  pleasant,  it  having  very 
nice  scenery  and  all  kinds  of  business  seemed  to 
be  thriving. 


112  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

There  are  some  very  beautiful  parks  near  this 
city.  In  making  a  visit  to  Point  Defiance  Park  we 
were  pleased  to  see  the  splendid  array  of  the  beau- 
tiful flowers  that  were  cultivated  here,  especially  the 
roses  that  were  of  so  many  rare  varieties,  and  each 
kind  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in  producing 
the  greatest  attraction.  The  roses  of  this  city,  as  we 
view  them  from  the  different  parks  and  gardens, 
seem  to  surpass  those  of  any  other  locality  we  have 
visited  and  are  viewed  with  wonder  and  surprise  as 
we  behold  the  many  magnificent  colors  and  test  the 
fragrance  of  the  many  different  varieties  and  look 
with  wonder  and  amazement  upon  the  beauties  of 
nature  here  revealed. 

The  Puget  Sound  Navy  Yard. 

Taking  one  of  the  steamers  that  leave  the  wharf 
at  Seattle  we  take  a  very  pleasant  sail  upon  the 
Sound.  In  a  short  time  we  arrive  at  the  landing  a 
short  distance  from  the  Navy  Yard.  Here  we  see 
the  great  war  vessels  that  are  quietly  lying  along- 
side the  wharf.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  there  were 
some  seven  or  eight  of  these  monster  ships  that  were 
being  refitted  or  repaired  in  some  manner  to  make 
them  more  thoroughly  fitted  for  the  service  for 
which  they  were  intended.  There  is  employed  a 
large  number  of  workmen  engaged  in  making  or  re- 
pairing the  various  things  needed  for  the  keeping 
in  good  trim  of  this  fleet  of  fighting  ships  that  Uncle 
Sam  is  always  supposed  to  have  in  readiness.  When 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  113 

we  add  to  these  the  large  number  of  officers  and 
sailors  that  form  the  crews  of  these  great  war  ves- 
sels and  we  have  an  assemblage  of  a  large  number 
of  men  that  make  the  Navy  Yard  a  lively  place, 
abounding  with  bustle  and  activity. 

It  was  our  privilege  while  here  to  attend  the  lay- 
ing of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  Veterans'  Home 
for  the  State  of  Washington.  This  is  located  near 
Port  Orchard  upon  a  beautiful  eminence  having  a 
most  magnificent  view  of  the  Sound  with  its  many 
ships  passing  and  repassing.  The  great  fleet  of  war 
vessels  that  are  floating  in  the  bay,  the  prosperous 
towns  of  Bremerton,  Manette,  Charleston  and  Port 
Orchard,  with  mountains  in  view,  altogether  form- 
ing a  grand  and  romantic  scenery  that  can  scarcely 
be  equaled  anywhere  along  the  Sound. 

Veterans'  Home. 

The  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the 
Washington  Veterans'  new  home  occurred  April 
6th,  1908.  The  old  comrades  were  the  real  actors, 
having  charge  of  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of 
the  building  that  is  now  the  pride,  comfort  and 
happiness  of  the  old  comrades  and  their  wives  who 
wish  to  accept  the  generosity  of  a  kind  and  liberal 
government.  G-overnor  Albert  E.  Mead  was  pres- 
ent and  made  a  fine  speech  that  was  heartily  re- 
ceived, especially  by  the  old  comrades.  Rear  Ad- 
miral Bur  well,  commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard,  also 
congratulated  the  old  soldiers  that  they  were  to  have 
a  pleasant  home  where  they  could  rest  in  honored 


114  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

retirement  from  the  busy  cares  of  life  and  view  with 
pleasure  the  surroundings  of  their  new  home  and 
its  many  attractions. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  behold  the  snow-capped  moun- 
tains in  the  distance,  the  irregular  shore  line  of  the 
Sound  skirted  with  the  beautiful  evergreens  that 
seem  to  overlook  the  whole  scene,  while  in  the  dis- 
tance may  be  seen  the  great  naval  fleet  proudly  rest- 
ing upon  the  waters  near  the  fine  towns  of  Brem- 
erton, Charleston,  Port  Orchard  and  Manette.  Sure- 
ly the  viewpoint  from  the  Washington  Veterans' 
Home  presents  many  attractive  features  that  can 
hardly  be  equaled  at  any  place  along  the  Sound  and 
certainly  is  truly  appreciated  not  only  by  the  old 
soldiers  themselves,  but  all  their  friends  who  have 
a  deep  interest  in  their  welfare. 

Since  the  first  buildings  were  occupied  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Home  quite  extensive  improvements  have 
been  made  by  the  addition  of  several  large  and  sub- 
stantial buildings  that  are  now  occupied  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Home  and  their  wives.  There  are  at 
present  over  500  members,  about  70  being  their 
wives. 

The  hospital  is  a  fine  building  fitted  and  furnished 
with  the  latest  improved  facilities  for  the  treatment 
of  the  afflicted  ones.  This  department,  in  the  care 
of  Dr.  Carson,  is  handled  with  credit  to  him  and  his 
professional  trained  nurses  and  attendants,  who  do 
their  best  to  alleviate  suffering  and  distress  of  those 
under  their  care. 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  115 

The  electric  plant  furnishes  the  power  to  run  the 
bread  mixer,  the  vegetable  peeler,  dish  washer  and 
all  the  lights  for  the  different  buildings  and  grounds 
about  them. 

The  water  supply  is  one  grand  feature  of  this  in- 
stitution, furnishing  an  abundant  supply  for  all 
needed  uses.  The  source  of  this  is  from  several 
springs  about  a  mile  away.  The  water,  being  piped 
from  its  elevated  position,  comes  with  sufficient 
force  to  supply  the  highest  rooms  in  any  of  the 
buildings.  The  ice  plant  supplies  the  Home  with 
ice  when  needed.  Colonel  Wiscomb  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  seem  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  make 
things  agreeable  and  pleasant  for  all  members  of 
the  Home  who  dwell  together  as  one  large,  happy 
family. 

THE  LITTLE  CHURCH  UPON  THE  SOUND 

(Near  Veterans  Home) 


Near  tide  waters  at  the  Sound 

Is  where  the  little  Church  is  found. 

Here  we  meet  on  God's  Holy  Day, 

And  hear  what  the  preacher  has  to  say; 

And  kindly  greet  and  sing  and  pray; 

That  helps  to  lead  us  on  our  Heavenly  way. 

For  God's  Love  is  great  and  surely  found 

Right  at  the   little   Church  upon   the   Sound. 

When  all  time  with  us  shall  be  no  more, 
And  we  are  landed  on  the  other  shore, 
May  we  meet  the  friends  who  have  passed  along, 
And  our  lot  be  to  meet  with  the  happy  throng, 
Grandly  marching  on  the  Heavenly  way, 
Where  all  is  grand,  bright,  eternal  day; 
And  may  the  Heavenly  Chorus  there  resound, 
Joined  by  the  little  Church  upon  the  Sound. 


116  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 


iviociips  on  tne  x'acinc  Coast. 

Leaving  Oiyrupia,  the  capital  eiiy,  we  took  uie 
train  for  the  coast,  where  we  had  a  good  view  oi  Uie 
real  ocean.  We  were  raised  near  tne  Atlantic  and 
ever  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  Facinc.  A  large 
portion  of  the  route  lay  through  the  dense  forests. 
The  surface  of  the  country  seemed  quite  level  and 
the  soil  very  moist  and  rich.  In  some  localities  nice 
farms  were  already  under  a  good  state  of  cultiva- 
tion with  fine  dwellings  and  other  good  improve- 
ments, with  occasionally  a  sawmill  that  was  busy 
converting  the  large  trees  into  lumber  —  that  seem- 
ing to  be  quite  a  large  industry. 

As  we  neared  the  coast  the  forest  became  more 
dense,  the  trees  being  larger,  exhibiting  the  most 
productive  area  of  timber  land  known  on  the  con- 
tinent. This  state  claims  to  have  the  most  timber. 
This  was  certified  to  after  a  bet  between  two  men  — 
a  California  man  and  a  Washington  man,  and  settled 
by  disinterested  timber  cruisers,  they  having  de- 
cided that  the  Washington  timber  scaled  consider- 
ably more  to  the  quarter  section  than  did  the  tim- 
ber of  California.  The  California  trees  were  larger 
but  the  Washington  trees  were  much  more  numerous 
on  the  ground. 

A  short  distance  before  reaching  the  coast  on 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  we  noticed  this  timber 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  117 

claimed  to  be  the  heaviest  of  any  portion  of  the 
United  States.  Moclips  is  a  new  town  started  on 
the  coast  of  the  Pacific,  it  is  at  present  a  town  oi 
much  importance,  it  having  such  a  splendid  view  oi: 
the  great  ocean  and  situated  as  it  is  right  upon  its 
banks.  Moclips  is  where  the  Northern  Pacinc  Kail- 
way  terminates,  it  being  the  farthest  west  of  any 
railroad  town  in  the  United  States  and  is  readily 
reached  by  rail  without  transfer,  this  making  it 
very  convenient  and  highly  favorable  as  a  summer 
resort.  The  depot  is  situated  within  300  feet  of  the 
ocean  beach.  It  has  a  fine  large  hotel  that  is  280 
feet  in  length.  The  proprietor  claimed  this  to  be 
the  largest  hotel  in  Washington,  containing  270 
outside  rooms  overlooking  the  ocean.  It  is  situated 
160  feet  from  the  Northern  Pacific  depot  and  twelve 
feet  from  the  Pacific  Ocean,  making  it  a  very  de- 
lightful and  pleasant  resort. 

I  was  reared  in  Massachusetts  near  the  Atlantic 
sea  coast  and  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  We  felt  truly  thankful  when  that  desire 
was  gratified  and  we  could  gaze  upon  the  ever 
restless  waters  of  the  great  ocean.  Unlike  the  rocky 
coast  of  the  Atlantic,  its  shores  are  earth  and  sand. 
The  great  waves  are  ever  rolling  in,  ever  beating 
upon  the  shore  until  it  is  firm  and  smooth  and  solid 
as  the  best  of  roads,  forming  an  ideal  track  for  driv- 
ing after  the  tide  had  left  it.  It  is  a  favorite  place 
for  the  automobile  and  bicycle,  as  the  surface  has  no 
impediments  for  thirty  miles  along  the  shore. 


118  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

While  there  a  furious  storm  arose  and  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  old  Pacific  when  excited. 
It  was  a  grand  sight  to  see  the  great  waves  break 
upon  the  shores.  The  foaming  waves  resemble  huge 
snow  banks  on  the  move  as  they  break  upon  the 
sandy  shore;  they  compact  and  level  the  surface, 
leaving  it  hard  and  smooth.  Moonstones,  agates  and 
other  stones  and  an  abundance  of  clams  and  crabs 
are  found  here.  Wfe  did  not  find  the  sea  shells  as 
plentiful  here  as  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  but  some 
were  different  from  any  we  had  ever  seen  before.  It 
is  an  attractive  place  to  spend  a  vacation  and  we 
predict  for  it  a  brilliant  future. 

AXIOMS— FOOD   FOR   THOUGHT. 

Gratitude,   the   fairest   flower   that   blooms   along   life's 
pathway. 


Cheerfulness  brings  the  sunshine  of  life. 

A  laughing  heart  and  a  smiling  face  each  day 
Scatters  sunshine  all  along  the  way. 


To  be  happy,  try  to  make  everyone   around  you  so. 


Everyone  who  contributes  to  the  real  good  of  the  world 
leaves  behind  them  a  true  monument. 


Fault  finding  is  the  wrong  way  to  happiness. 
A  contented  mind  is  a  continual  feast. 


Profanity  is  unfashionable,  unmannerly   and   a  useless, 
debasing,   wicked  and   sinful   practice.     Why   use   it? 

Stolen  sweets  have  a  sting. 


The  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  119 

The  tidal   wave  of  sin  takes   many   an   innocent  in. 
"Godliness  with  contentment  is  great  gain.' 
We  build  our  own  monuments  while  living. 

"Wisdom's  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness  and  all  her 
paths  are  peace." 

Look  not  backward  for  the  dark  and  gloomy  shadows 
of  the  past,  but  forward  toward  the  glorious  sunlight  of 
God's  love. 

Hope  on,  hope  ever  to  the  end 

Have  Christ  the  Savior  for  your  friend. 


If  you  would  live  to  be  old, 
Do  not  get  the  blues,  or  scold. 

Happiness  is  not  bought,  but  manufactured. 

The  kind,  truthful,  obedient  girl  or  boy, 
Is  surely  Father's  pride  and  Mother's  joy. 


Is  it   really   so   that   Pride   and   Fashion   cost   us   more 
than  Food  and  Raiment? 

Do  not  chase  after  happiness;  use  the  right  kind  of  bait 
and  it  will  follow  us  and  we  can  catch  it. 


As  one  soweth  so  shall  he  reap.  Do  not  sow  wild  oats 
expecting  to  reap  a  crop  of  happiness.  The  harvest  will 
be  sorrow  and  misery.  There  are  plenty  of  unhappy  living 
witnesses  to  this  fact. 

Disappointments    may    come    and    sorrows    may    fall, 
If  happy  in  Jesus  you  may  drown  them  all. 


Memories  of  childhood  days  are  the  sweetest  in  mem- 
ory's storehouse. 

"Oh   for  the   touch  of  a  vanished  hand, 
And  the  sound  of  the  voice  that  is  still." 

Beauty  is  as  Beauty  does.    Act  well  and  you  will  appear 
well. 


120  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

The  path  of  duty  leads  to  a  glorious  day, 
That  ever  sends  us  merrily  on  our  way. 


To  have  a  contented  mind  and  cheerful  heart  each  day, 
Have  Christ  right  with  us  all  along  the  way. 

Godliness  and  Righteousness  is  a  team  that  will  draw 
a  large  load  of  Happiness. 


Why  is  it  that  Indians,  negroes  and  dudes  are  so  fond 
of  jewelry? 


One  diamond  in  the  soul  is  worth  a  dozen  on  the  ring 
or  pin. 


The  cost   of   Fashion   often   undermines  the   foundation 
of  Love. 

Look  pleasant.     A  smile  will  drive  away  dull  care  and 
scatter  sunshine  all  around  you. 


The    singing    girl   and    whistling   boy 
Help  to  fill  the  home  with  joy. 

The  very  best  wishes  of  a  wife 

Is   to   lead   a  joyous,   happy   life; 

The  best  wishes  of  her  man 

Is  to  please  her  if  he  can. 

If  you  succeed,  it  will  be  so, 

If   you   should   not,   your  cake   is    dough. 


Most   men's   prosperity   and   happiness   in   their   lives 
Is  largely  attained  through  the  influence  of  their  wives. 


Christianity  is  the  base  upon  which  rests  the  civiliza- 
tion, prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  whole  world. 


Our  greatest  worries  are  about  the  things  that  never 
occur. 

The   misdirected   efforts   of   early   life   will    show    their 
results  when  you  get  older. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  121 

A  Visit  to  Alberta  Country. 

Taking  the  International  railway  train  we  pro- 
ceeded in  a  northeasterly  direction  toward  the  ia- 
mous  Alberta  country.  We  view  the  attractions  as 
we  proceed  onward.  Nature's  handiwork  is  shown 
on  every  hand.  The  woods,  the  lakes,  the  streams, 
the  rocks  and  mountains  seem  to  vie  with  the  in- 
dustry of  man  in  making  the  beautiful  homes  by 
turning  the  virgin  soil  into  nice  cultivated  fields, 
producing  grain,  fruits  and  vegetables  and  orna- 
menting the  once  wild  regions  with  fine  attractive 
homes. 

As  we  proceed  onward  we  find  the  rocks,  the  hills 
and  rocky  gorges  interspersed  with  mills  and  mines 
that  are  an  important  factor  in  this  country.  We 
pass  the  famous  mountain,  M,t.  Franc,  where  a  por- 
tion of  the  great  mountain  slid  down  and  buried 
quite  a  portion  of  the  town  with  200  of  its  inhabitants 
some  200  feet  beneath  the  surface,  where  the  rail- 
road track  is  now  built. 

An  agent  from  the  International  office  seemed 
quite  inquisitive,  wishing  to  know  where  I  was  from, 
where  I  was  going,  where  I  was  born,  how  old  I  was, 
how  much  money  I  had,  and  several  other  questions. 

As  we  proceed  onward  we  pass  many  homestead- 
ers' claims  with  their  humble,  cozy  dwellings  and 
cultivated  fields.  When  we  reached  Macleod  we 
took  a  branch  road  to  Claresholm.  The  land  lays 
nice  and  level,  some  gravel  in  spots.  In  the  interior 
a  deep  black  soil  that  produced  abundantly  and  a 


122  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

thrifty  class  of  people  who  were  satisfied  with  their 
homes  they  had  secured  in  this  beautiful  Alberta 
country. 

Veterans  Home. 

Near  Port  Orchard  on  the  banks  of  the  Sound, 

Is   where   the   Old  Veterans   Home   is   found. 

For  here  we  have  a  most  splendid  view, 

Where  floats  the  Banner  Red,  White  and  Blue. 

It's  here  they  meet  and  talk  and  chat  and  make  a  noise, 

And  some  trying  their  very  best  to  act  like  boys. 

But  they  all  seem  quite  different  now,  you  know, 

From  what  they  really  did  some  fifty  years  ago. 

For  Old  Father  Time,  exposure,  shot  and  shell, 

Have  fixed  many  so  they  are  far  from  being  well. 

Many  are  thus  tortured  with  ever  constant  pain, 

And  can   scarcely  navigate  without  the  crutch   or  cane. 

Some  have  their  good  wives  with  them,  and  lead  a  joyous 

life, 

For  happy  is  he  who  has  the  true  and  loving  wife. 
The  whistle  blows,  the  girls  and  boys,  stout,  slim,  short 

and  tall, 

Are  now  all  wending  their  way  toward  the  Dining  Hall. 
It  is  here  we  meet,  the  commander  gives  his  views, 
And  often  relates  to  us  some  very  pleasant  news. 
We  are  really  anxious  also  to  take  a  look, 
And  test  the  nice  samples  furnished  by  the  cook. 
Another  whistle  blows,  the  doors  are  opened  wide; 
Soon  we  are  seated  at  the  table  side  by  side. 
The  pretty  waiter  girls  we  think  first  rate, 
For  they  bring  something  good  for  every  plate. 
We  are  too  busy  now  for  any  more  rhyme, 
So  we  will  delay  it  until  another  time. 

Pneumonia  Remedy. 

In  view  of  the  prevalence  and  many  deaths  re- 
sulting from  pneumonia,  I  append  the  following 
as  an  excellent  remedy : 

Take  six  to  ten  onions,  according  to  size,  chop  fine, 
put  in  a  small  kettle  or  pan  over  the  fire,  then  add  about 
the  same  quantity  of  rye  meal,  and  vinegar  enough  to 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  123 

make  a  thick  paste.  Stir  it  until  thoroughly  heated.  Then 
put  in  a  cotton  bag  large  enough  to  cover  the  chest  and 
apply  as  hot  as  the  patient  can  bear.  When  cool  apply 
another,  and  thus  continue  by  reheating  the  poultices. 
In  a  short  time  the  patient  will  be  out  of  danger.  Usually 
a  few  applications  will  be  sufficient,  but  continue  until 
perspiration  starts  freely  from  the  chest. 

The  above,  though  obtained  as  a  sure  remedy 
many  years  ago,  was  formulated  by  a  New  England 
physician  who  claimed  he  rarely  lost  a  patient  from 
this  disease,  but  cured  many  after  given  up  to  die 
and  their  cases  pronounced  hopeless  by  other  promi- 
nent physicians.  We  have  tested  this  remedy  sev- 
eral times  and  it  has  always  brought  immediate  re- 
lief. 


124  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  Chapter  to  the  Young. 

Before  I  bring  these  sketches  of  my  travels  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  to  a  close  I  feel  that  I 
would  like  to  give  a  few  words  to  the  young.  I 
look  back  with  pleasure  to  the  days  of  my  youth 
as  I  review  the  past  at  my  home  on  the  eastern  coast 
where  I  first  started  out  in  life,  memories  of  the 
familiar  scenes  in  which  we  all  took  an  active  part. 
The  old  home  with  all  its  endearments  comes  vividly 
to  memory.  The  friendly  fireside  where  we  spent  so 
many  happy  hours  in  company  with  those  we  truly 
loved,  for  father  and  mother,  sister  and  brother  were 
in  unison  trying  to  make  a  happy  home.  It  is  a 
pleasing  thought  to  me  that  we  so  well  succeeded 
in  doing  so.  Home  should  be  the  happiest  place  on 
earth,  and  it  really  is  just  what  we  make  it. 

And  I  would  say  to  the  young,  be  prudent,  indus- 
trious, economical,  and  make  it  the  rule  of  your 
life  to  make  some  one  feel  happy,  if  possible,  every 
day.  Acquire  good  habits  for  they  are  essential 
to  your  welfare  and  happiness.  Evil  habits  bring 
sorrow,  sickness,  shame  and  death.  Shun  the  path- 
way of  sin  with  its  blighting  influences  that  lead 
you  to  a  life  of  unhappiness.  Surely  virtue  hath  its 
own  reward  and  leads  the  way  toward  earth's  great- 
est boon,  happiness,  that  is  reciprocal  and  only  comes 
to  those  who  bring  it. 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  125 

In  my  opinion  a  young  person  starting  out  in  life 
cannot  invest  in  a  more  worthy  calling  or  seek  a 
better  paying  investment  than  in  the  good  stock  of 
Christianity  or  love  to  God  in  the  heart,  for  in  my 
experience  it  brings  paying  results  for  there  is 
"joy  and  peace  in  believing/'  for  we  have  the  prom- 
ise that  our  Heavenly  Father  will  protect  us  and 
guide  us  safely  into  the  haiven  of  Eternal  Rest. 
Let  us  secure  that  Hope  that  is  "as  an  anchor  to 
the  soul,"  both  sure  and  steadfast,  and  shape  our 
course  toward  that  Heavenly  City,  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem, where  we  may  ever  enjoy  the  presence  of  loved 
ones  and  secure  admission  to  that  haven  of  Eternal 
Rest  where  we  have  the  promise  of  a  grand  recep- 
tion awaiting  us. 

My  advice  and  earnest  desire  is  that  you  lead 
good,  moral  lives  and  love  God  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments that  we  may  obtain  the  precious  reward 
that  is  promised  to  every  true  lover  of  the  Lord.  As 
you  journey  along  through  life  you  may  expect 
trials,  disappointments  and  difficulties,  but  surmount 
them  all  and 


"Endeavor  to  carry  sunshine  everywhere  you  go, 

And  try  to  brighten  some  way,  lives  of  those  you  know." 

When  the  dark  clouds  of  disappointment  and  sor- 
row arise,  remember  there  is  a  silver  lining  caused 
by  the  glorious  sunshine  in  the  background  and  that 
every  cloud  has  its  silver  lining.  When  disappoint- 
ment, sorrow  and  grief  comes,  for  it  is  alloted  to  all, 
let  us  be  resigned  to  the  unseen  and  hidden  power 


126  FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE   PACIFIC 

that  governs  all  things  and  rely  upon  the  precious 
promises  that  are  given  us,  that  "all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  the  Lord/' 

My  earnest  desire  is  that  you  do  not  treat  lightly 
father's  counsel  or  mother's  advice.  They  are  deep- 
ly interested  in  your  welfare  and  will  do  their  best 
toward  shaping  your  course  in  the  direction  that  will 
lead  you  on  to  a  successful,  prosperous  and  happy 
future.  Let  us  ever  strive  to  secure  that  precious 
reward  that  brings  eternal  joy,  peace  and  happiness 
forever. 

Wanted 

A  boy  that's  honest,  pure  and  neat; 
That  will  not  He,  or  steal,  or  cheat, 
One  that's  polite,  and  kind,  and  true, — 
That  don't  drink  beer,  or  smoke  or  chew. 


A   boy   that's   active,    steady,    bright; 
That  will  not  fear  to  do  what's  right; 
One  that  will  work,  do  well  his  part; 
That  does  not  swear — has  a  good  heart. 


One  thousand  first-class  places  wait, 
For  boys  whose  future  shall  be  great; 
But  they  must  have  these  points, — rely, 
None  others  need  for  them  apply. 


Our  public  men  are  falling  fast! 

Their  names  MUST  number  in  the  past! 

And  very  sad  will  be  the  case, 

If  we've  no  boys  to  fill  their  place. 

— Capt.  A.  J.  Smith. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  127 

Concluding  Remarks. 

In  conclusion  we  can  but  take  a  backward  look 
and  see  the  surging  billows  of  the  broad  Atlantic  as 
they  so  furiously  dash  against  the  rockbound  coast 
while  with  a  searching  glance  spy  out  the  many 
ships  that  are  sailing  to  and  fro  along  the  coast, 
forming  a  beautiful  view.  Memory  lingers  in  sad- 
ness as  we  bring  to  our  mind  those  we  truly  loved 
in  early  childhood,  but  now  have  left  and  gone  to 
their  reward.  Visions  of  friends  and  home  come  to 
mind  as  we  think  of  the  many  endearments  and  the 
joyous  pleasures  we  so  highly  enjoyed  among  neigh- 
bors and  friends,  schoolmates  and  our  many  asso- 
ciates. But  the  time  came  when  it  seemed  best  to 
bid  adieu  to  friends  and  home,  and  take  up  our 
journey  westward  amid  the  tears  of  loving  friends. 

Since  that  day  we  have  been  drifting  westward 
until  we  are  near  the  western  coast,  near  where  the 
grand  old  Pacific  sends  in  its  dashing  waves  upon  an 
earthbound  coast.  Here  a  great  multitude  of  resi- 
dents have  assembled,  coming  from  many  different 
states,  and  are  making  for  themselves  new  homes, 
being  enticed  by  the  mild  and  salubrious  climate  and 
the  attractions  of  the  Evergreen  State.  Here  are 
living  many  of  the  old  soldiers.  A  friendly  greeting 
is  given  to  all  of  the  comrades.  We  note  they  are 
growing  old,  for  since  we  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder 
in  the  great  conflict  many  have  fallen,  while  the  re- 
mainder are  growing  old,  and  are  fast  receding 
downward  toward  the  sunset  of  life.  Let  us.  as 


128  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

citizens  and  soldiers,  act  well  our  part  in  life  and 
so  live  that  we  may  leave  a  record  that  will  be  an 
honor  to  our  memory. 

The  endearing  scenes  of  the  past,  as  we  note  them 
by  the  aid  of  memory,  form  visions  of  joy  and  sad- 
ness. In  life  there  is  joy.  In  the  future  there  is 
mystery.  Let  us  plan  for  the  future,  so  when  the 
mystic  tie  is  severed  and  we  are  summoned  to  cross 
the  "dark  river"  may  it  be  our  lot  to  land  upon  that 
shining  shore  and  enter  that  Heavenly  City,  the  New 
Jerusalem,  where  we  may  enjoy  the  presence  of 
loved  ones,  with  Christ  the  Savior,  throughout  the 
endless  ages  of  Eternity  in  Heaven. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  129 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Breaking  Out  of  the  Civil  Wfcr. 

Just  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  we 
made  a  short  stay  at  our  old  home  in  Massachusetts 
and  were  there  when  Fort  Sumpter  was  fired  upon 
and  surrendered  to  the  Confederate  forces,  and  the 
first  war  cloud  hung  heavily  over  the  nation.  All 
were  greatly  excited  now;  for  a  certainty  war  had 
actually  begun. 

President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  75,000  men,  to 
serve  three  months,  was  hailed  with  the  utmost  ex- 
citement. An  earnest  appeal  was  given  to  all  able- 
bodied  men  who  wished  to  enlist  to  do  so.  The  fife 
and  drum  were  heard.  Meetings  were  held,  orators 
procured  to  sound  the  war  notes  to  induce  persons 
to  enlist.  Recruiting  offices  were  opened  to  take 
the  names  and  swear  in  any  and  all  who  could  pass 
the  required  examination  and  wished  to  show  their 
patriotism  by  entering  the  service  of  their  country 
and  uphold  the  old  flag. 

The  call  for  the  first  troops  was  heeded  with  un- 
paralleled alertness  and  soon  a  regiment  was  sent 
on  for  the  protection  of  Washington.  Others  soon 
followed ;  the  Sixth  regiment  was  assaulted  and  sev- 
eral killed  while  marching  through  Baltimore.  With 
unabated  interest  others  continued  to  enlist ;  farmers 
left  their  farms,  merchants  their  stores,  mechanics 


130  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

their  workshops,  clerks  dropped  their  calling,  con- 
sequently a  large  number  had  assembled  to  answer 
the  President's  call.  But  there  was  a  serious  draw- 
back toward  forwarding  them  on  to  Washington. 
There  was  no  officer  willing  to  take  charge  of  the 
troops.  The  experience  of  the  Sixth  regiment  a  few 
days  before  had  dampened  the  ardor  of  the  few  offi- 
cers who  were  qualified  to  take  command  of  the 
troops,  believing  that  the  rebellious  spirit  of  the 
citizens  of  Baltimore,  they  being  so  numerous,  would 
annihilate  the  whole  command,  as  they  were  very 
poorly  armed. 

While  restlessly  waiting  in  this  dilemma,  Benjamin 
Butler  came  to  their  relief,  and  in  that  determined 
style  of  his  said,  ' '  I  will  take  these  men  on  to  Wash- 
ington." Accordingly,  they  started  on  what  seemed 
to  many  a  very  perilous  journey,  leaving  behind 
them  a  large  company  of  friends  who  were  deeply 
interested  in  their  welfare,  for  they  fully  believed 
that  many  who  were  leaving  would  never  return. 

Butler's  Journey  to  Washington. 

They  sped  onward  on  their  journey  without  any 
serious  mishap  until  they  arrived  in  the  enemy's 
country,  when  something  went  wrong  with  the  loco- 
motive, so  they  could  make  but  slow  progress,  trav- 
eling but  a  few  miles  an  hour,  the  crew  on  the  en- 
gine claiming  that  they  could  make  no  better  head- 
way. 

General  Butler,  with  his  usual  sagacity,  believed 
there  was  something  wrong  with  the  crew  that  was 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC  131 

running  the  engine  as  well  as  the  engine  itself.  So 
he  resorted  to  this  novel  means  to  find  out.  He  made 
the  inquiry,  wishing  to  know  if  there  were  any  ma- 
chinists among  his  soldiers;  if  so,  "to  line  up  in 
front."  In  compliance  to  this,  quite  a4  line  of  sol- 
diers responded,  some  of  them  coming  from  the 
same  shops  where  this  same  engine  was  made.  A 
committee  was  chosen  to  examine  it ;  they  found  that 
portions  of  it  had  been  taken  away  and  many  of 
its  parts  were  missing,  but  they  were  not  long  in  re- 
pairing it  so  they  could  go  over  the  road  at  the  rate 
of  forty  miles  an  hour. 

But  the  southerners  seemed  determined  to  prevent 
the  arrival  of  troops  for  the  protection  of  Washing- 
ton; when  one  scheme  failed  they  would  try  an- 
other. The  train  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they 
were  obliged  to  stop,  for  the  track  for  a  long  dis- 
tance had  been  torn  up  and  many  of  the  rails  were 
carried  away  and  hid,  also  all  the  telegraph  wires 
had  been  cut  so  the  communication  had  been  en- 
tirely cut  off.  The  soldiers  were  now  set  at  work 
building  railroad  and  searching  for  the  hidden  rails, 
some  of  which  were  a  long  distance  away  and  caused 
considerable  delay. 

The  Missing  Rail. 

After  a  long  and  tedious  hunt,  engaged  in  by 
thousands  of  men,  the  track  was  nearly  replaced 
and  ready  for  the  continuance  of  the  journey,  all 
the  rails  being  found  with  the  exception  of  one. 


132  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

The  country  was  searched  for  a  long  distance  on 
both  sides  of  the  railway  but  the  missing  rail  could 
not  be  found.  The  soldiers  were  formed  into  a 
long  skirmish  line.  By  keeping  a  few  feet  apart 
they  searched  thoroughly  the  whole  country  near 
the  line  of  the  road.  After  a  long  and  weary  search 
they  were  rewarded  by  finding  the  missing  rail 
some  three-quarters  of  a  mile  away  at  the  bottom 
of  a  small  and  muddy  stream.  The  road  was  soon 
completed  and  the  train  proceeded  on  toward  Wash- 
ington. 

Watching  and  Waiting. 

During  all  this  delay  there  was  an  exciting  time 
among  the  friends  at  home.  They  were  anxiously 
waiting  to  hear  from  their  loved  ones  who  had  left 
them.  Many  weary  hours  passed  as  they  patiently 
waited  for  the  dispatch  to  come.  There  was  an 
eager  throng  gathered  around  the  telegraph  station. 
Here  were  gathered  fathers  and  mothers,  brothers 
and  sisters,  wives  and  sweethearts,  who  were  pa- 
tiently waiting  to  hear  of  loved  ones.  Day  was 
turned  into  night  and  the  rain  was  gently  falling, 
but  still  they  lingered.  During  this  time  Butler  and 
his  command  was  speeding  on  toward  Washington 
and  the  telegraph  was  put  in  working  order  and 
the  glad  news  soon  came  over  the  wire,  "  Butler 
has  arrived  and  Washington  is  safe." 

Returning  West. 

It  now  seemed  evident  that  the  war  was  going 
to  be  a  larger  one  than  most  people  expected.  The 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  133 

first  call  of  75,000  three  months  men  was  soon 
filled,  my  only  brother  enlisting  with  the  first  call 
for  troops.  But  the  war  cloud  still  hung  heavily 
over  the  nation  and  another  call  was  soon  made. 
During  this  time  my  father  died  and  my  interest 
seemed  to  be  at  our  new  home  in  Minnesota;  ac- 
cordingly we  started  again  for  the  far  West,  again 
turning  our  faces  toward  the  Pacific. 

About  this  time  there  was  an  Indian  outbreak 
among  the  Sioux  Indians,  they  claiming  to  be  the 
first  settlers  and  having  the  right  to  own  this 
country  and  use  it  as  their  own.  It  was  to  them 
the  "Indians'  Paradise,"  for  it  abounded  with  the 
wild  animals  common  to  this  country.  Here  the 
buffalo  roamed,  the  elk,  the  moose,  the  deer,  the 
beaver,  and  otter  with  other  wild  animals  and  birds, 
made  it  their  rich  hunting  ground.  Here  the  wild 
rice  grew  in  abundance  around  the  lakes.  This 
they  gathered  for  their  food;  it  also  furnished  food 
for  the  numerous  flocks  of  geese  and  ducks  that 
made  their  home  there  in  the  summer.  The  Govern- 
ment made  a  bargain  with  the  Indians  through  its 
agents,  giving  them  nearly  too  million  dollars  for 
their  lands,  paying  them  interest  at  the  rate  of  five 
per  cent,  for  fifty  years,  believing  by  that  time  they 
would  become  a  civilized  people. 

Indian  War  In  Minnesota. 

Prom  some  cause  there  was  a  delay  made  in  the 
payment  as  agreed  upon  and  the  Indians  became 
impatient  and  restless  from  disappointment.  See- 


134  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

ing  the  white  man  continually  trespassing  upon  his 
rich  hunting  ground  and  they  not  getting  their 
rights  as  promised  by  the  government,  they  would 
simply  kill  or  drive  every  white  man  from  the 
country  and  still  retain  their  land  as  their  own. 
After  coming  to  that  conclusion  the  bloody  work 
commenced  by  making  a  stealthy,  murderous  attack 
upon  the  settlers.  This  they  did  by  dividing  into 
squads  of  three  or  four  each,  when  they  would  visit 
the  settler,  pretending  to  be  friendly,  when  they 
would  unexpectedly  strike  down  every  member  of 
the  family  and  burn  their  dwellings  and  grain 
stacks,  then  proceed  to  the  next  neighbor  and  do 
likewise. 

Thus  the  cruel  war  continued  until  more  than  a 
thousand  of  the  early  settlers  near  New  Ulm  were 
ruthlessly  murdered.  The  country  was  devastated 
and  laid  waste,  presenting  a  doleful  state  of 
things.  Troops  were  sent  to  quell  and  capture 
these  unruly  beings.  After  a  long  and  fatiguing 
chase  in  which  many  lost  their  lives,  they  were 
finally  subdued  and  a  large  number  were  captured. 
Prom  this  number  were  selected  what  were  sup- 
posed to  be  the  most  atrocious  leaders.  Thirty-nine 
were  hanged  at  Mankato  the  19th  of  December, 
1862,  following. 

This  outbreak  of  the  Sioux,  coming  as  it  did  in 
the  midst  of  the  Civil  War,  called  for  extra  govern- 
ment troops  to  protect  the  frontier.  After  an  ex- 
citing campaign  of  several  months,  the  Indians  were 
again  brought  under  government  control,  where 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  135 

they  are  trying  to  make  themselves  civilized   citi- 
zens. 

Another  Call  for  Troops. 

Another  call  for  more  troops  was  soon  made  as 
the  fierce  warfare  still  continued.  Nearly  all  classes 
of  business  were  nearly  suspended,  except  that  con- 
nected with  the  .war.  Men  gathered  in  groups 
around  the  recruiting  offices.  The  fife  and  drum 
were  sending  out  their  martial  music,  and  the  chief 
topic  for  discussion  was  "war."  Able  speakers 
gathered  nightly  at  the  halls  and  schoolhouses  and 
delivered  patriotic  addresses,  urging  persons  to 
enlist.  The  urgent  appeals  were  readily  responded 
to  and  recruiting  was  continually  going  on.  Men 
left  their  business,  their  friends  and  homes  and 
all  that  seemed  dear  to  them  and  as  it  seemed,  laid 
their  lives  upon  the  altar  of  liberty  that  the  nation 
might  remain  an  undivided  and  progressive  and 
prosperous  Nation  as  it  is  today. 

At  this  time  a  gloom  settled  over  the  whole 
North  as  well  as  the  South.  We  were  almost  daily 
receiving  the  news  of  some  who  had  left  us  to  go 
to  the  scene  of  warfare  that  they  had  been  num- 
bered among  the  fallen  ones.  It  was  about  this 
time  that  another  call  for  troops  was  made. 

Old  Abram  spoke:  "Three  hundred  thousand  more,"  he  said, 
"To  swell  the  ranks  and  fill  the  places  of  the  dead." 

Enlistment  in  our  vicinity  at  this  time  seemed 
to  be  all  the  rage  and  nearly  all  the  able-bodied  men 
were  fulfilling  the  duties  of  army  life. 


136  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

Enlisting  for  Uncle  Sam. 

About  this  time  when  the  nation  seemed  to  be 
in  its  deepest  gloom  and  calling  so  loudly  for  more 
men,  that  nearly  all  my  neighbors  with  myself,  con- 
cluded we  would  enlist  to  help  put  down  the  Re- 
bellion. Those  who  knew  themselves  to  be  unfit 
for  military  duty  did  not  try  to  enlist.  It  was  a 
sorrowful  gathering  that  appeared  before  the  recruit- 
ing officer  and  put  down  their  names  to  become 
soldiers.  They  well  knew  they  would  be  taken  from 
family,  loved  ones,  friends  and  home,  and  would  be 
obliged  to  take  their  chances  among  the  cruel 
scenes  of  warfare,  knowing  that  many  would 
never  return. 

All  those  who  applied  for  enlistment  were  or- 
dered before  a  board  of  examining  surgeons  before 
wnom  they  appeared  in  a  perfectly  nude  condi- 
tion. Here  they  were  slapped,  thumped  and  pat- 
ted and  after  a  thorough  examination  if  defects 
were  found  they  were  dismissed  as  unfit  for  a  sol- 
dier; if  they  were  considered  sound  they  were  ac- 
cepted as  good  material  to  send  South.  Their  age, 
height  and  weight  and  birthplace,  also  the  color  of 
hair,  eyes  and  complexion  were  carefully  marked 
down.  We  were  then  taken  to  an  adjoining  room 
where  we  drew  a  suit  of  Uncle  Sam's  soldier  blue 
and  hurried  away  to  the  capital,  St.  Paul.  Here 
we  appeared  before  another  examining  board  as 
before.  But  few  were  rejected  in  this  examination. 

We  were  then  sworn  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States  and  were  then  subject  to  the  will  of 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  137 

the  army  officers.  To  refuse  to  obey  such,  the 
penalty  was  death  or  any  other  penalty  that  might 
be  imposed  by  court-martial. 

To  my  readers  who  do  not  fully  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  term,  "court-martial,"  we  will  say 
it  is  similar  to  a  jury  in  a  civil  case,  the  difference 
being  this  jury  is  composed  of  army  officers  and 
whatever  decision  they  decide  upon  is  considered 
military  law. 

We  were  now  a  full-fledged  soldier  and  subject 
to  the  command  of  our  superior  officers.  After 
going  through  our  first  lesson  in  military  drill,  we 
marched  to  the  barracks  at  Fort  Snelling  and  here 
commenced  to  initiate  ourselves  into  some  of  the 
realities  of  the  soldier's  life.  We  now  had  to  ac- 
custom ourselves  to  our  new  mode  of  living.  Our 
bed  was  exchanged  from  the  soft  feather  bed  to 
the  soft  side  of  a  pine  board.  We  thought  it  won- 
derfully hard  at  first  but  afterward,  while  at  the 
front  and  lying  on  the  cold,  muddy  ground  our 
earnest  wish  was  to  get  a  board  to  lie  on.  We  also 
had  to  get  accustomed  to  the  army  rations,  hard- 
tack and  pork  being  the  leading  feature  and  form- 
ing the  most  prominent  part  of  the  soldier's  fare. 
This  was  a  wonderful  change  from  the  well-supplied 
table  laden  with  the  good  things  prepared  by  the 
hands  of  those  we  dearly  loved. 

Start  for  the  Front. 

After  a  short  stay  at  Fort  Snelling,  during  which 
time  we  were  daily  practicing  the  army  drill,  and 


138  FROM  THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

learning  the  maneuvers  of  the  soldier  required  in 
the  active  duties  of  real  warfare,  we  received  the 
order  to  go  South  and  join  our  regiment  that 
was  then  stationed  at  the  front  near  Hatcher's 
Run,  Va. 

The  day  was  announced  when  we  were  to  leave 
for  the  South  to  participate  in  the  realities  of  war. 
It  is  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  by  every  one 
present,  for  here  were  assembled  the  many  friends 
of  those  who  were  going  to  leave.  They  came  to 
bid  them  "good  bye."  Here  were  assembled  fathers 
and  mothers,  sisters  and  brothers,  wives  and  another 
class  that  seemed  nearer  and  dearer  than  any,  was 
the  sweethearts  of  those  who  were  about  to  sep- 
arate. As  the  tears  rolled  down  their  cheeks  they 
bid  each  other  "good  bye."  which  to  many  was  the 
last  good-bye  on  earth,,  for  they  went  away  but 
returned  not  again. 

On  our  journey  South  we  made  but  a  very  few 
stops.  Being  supplied  with  rations  when  we  left 
St.  Paul,  there  was  no  particular  need  of  stopping. 
The  next  day  we  halted  once  for  dinner  that  was 
served  in  a  nearby  eating  room.  We  were  informed 
that  all  our  belongings  would  be  perfectly  safe  to 
be  left  in  the  car  during  our  absence. 

"Mine  Bottle  Tings." 

There  was  a  little  short  Dutchman  that  did  not 
understand  the  English  language  very  well.  He 
knew  the  haversack  was  to  carry  the  food  in  and 
the  canteen  to  carry  the  drink  in.  So  before  leav- 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  139 

ing  St.  Paul  he  got  the  canteen  filled  with  whisky. 
While  we  were  at  dinner  some  sneakthieves  taking 
advantage  of  our  absence  went  through  the  car, 
appropriating  whatever  they  wished  to  their  own 
use.  I  was  fortunate,  only  losing  the  straps  of  my 
knapsack.  But  ''Shorty"  was  nearly  struck  dumb 
when  he  could  not  find  his  canteen  of  whisky.  He 
says:  ''Mine  Gott!  some  vun  has  got  mine  bottle 
tings."  The  canteen  was  called  " bottle  tings"  for 
a  long  time  afterward,  and  the  little  Dutchman  was 
a  mourner  for  quite  a  while. 

Nothing  of  special  note  occurred  as  we  sped  on 
our  way  toward  Washington.  Pittsburg,  with  its 
many  chftnneys  and  smoky  atmosphere  was  passed 
through  and  the  soldier  boys  seemed  ever  to  be 
welcome.  Baltimore,  where  the  warlike  spirit  of 
its  mixed  inhabitants  had  previously  shown  itself, 
was  now  calm  and  coolly  taking  in  the  situation, 
and  resigned  itself  to  law  and  order. 

On  the  Potomac. 

We  soon  were  on  board  of  a  steamer  and  going 
down  the  Potomic  River,  having  a  fine  view  of  the 
scenery  along  the  banks  of  this  noted  river.  We 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  great  war  vessels  that  were  at 
Hampton  Roads.  Here  was  the  little  Monitor,  re- 
sembling a  cheese  box  on  a  raft,  that  made  such  won- 
derful execution  in  the  battle  with  the  ironclad  war- 
ship the  Merrimac.  We  passed  the  home  of 
George  Washington,  the  one  whose  name  will  never 
be  forgotten.  This  humble  mansion  stands  a  short 


140  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

distance  from  the  river  upon  an  elevation,  the 
grounds  gradually  sloping  toward  the  river  which 
gave  it  with  its  picturesque  surroundings  a  most 
beautiful  landscape. 

We  next  went  on  to  Washington,  where  we  made 
quite  a  stop  in  a  large  warehouse  that  was  pro- 
vided for  us.  We  here  took  the  opportunity  to 
visit  the  Capitol  building  and  its  surroundings.  The 
next  day  we  went  to  City  Point,  where  we  made  a 
short  stay,  after  which  we  boarded  a  train  of  cars 
and  started  for  the  battle  line  directly  at  the  front. 

This  railroad  was  known  as  the  Military  Road. 
The  road  was  made  in  a  hurry;  they  did  not  stop 
to  dig  or  grade,  but  flat  on  the  ground  the  track 
was  laid.  This  was  made  that  the  supplies  needed 
for  the  army  were  so  much  more  easily  and  quickly 
handled  than  with  the  regular  army  baggage  train. 
For  a  portion  of  the  distance  the  ground  was  quite 
rolling  and  the  grades  were  steep.  It  was  with 
much  difficulty  that  the  engines  pulled  our  train 
of  flat  cars  loaded  with  soldiers  up  these  steep 
grades.  But  the  time  we  lost  in  going  up  was 
fully  made  up  in  going  down,  for  the  speed  was 
enormous  that  the  train  might  gain  the  top  of 
the  next  hill. 

After  reaching  the  terminus  of  the  road  and 
leaving  our  train  we  formed  in  line  and  marched 
out  into  the  wilderness.  The  shades  of  night  had 
now  fallen  and  it  was  quite  dark.  Our  route  lay 
through  a  partially  wooded  country  interspersed 
with  rocks,  stumps,  bushes  and  briars.  After  a 


FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  141 

tedious  march  of  several  hours  we  arrived  at  our 
destination  at  a  late  hour. 

We  found  the  boys  on  the  firing  line  behind  a 
line  of  works  that  extended  near  where  they  were 
camped,  while  the  Confederate  works  were  a  short 
distance  in  front  of  us.  The  buzz  of  the  bullets 
were  occasionally  heard  going  over  our  heads.  We 
were  not  allowed  to  build  any  fires,  for  they  would 
show  our  location,  but  were  privileged  to  rest,  but 
must  be  ready  at  a  moment's  warning,  for  we 
might  be  attacked  at  any  time  during  the  night 
and  our  help  would  be  needed  to  repel  the  attack. 
After  spreading  a  blanket  on  the  ground  and  using 
our  knapsacks  for  a  pillow  the  two  of  us  were 
covered  with  another  blanket.  Thus  we  spent  the 
first  night  at  the  front  with  the  regiment. 

A  comrade  wished  to  know  where  he  could  get 
a  drink  of  water.  "From  my  well/'  said  an  old 
comrade.  "We  do  not  have  to  dig  over  eighteen 
inches  deep  to  find  plenty  of  water  here. ' ' 

The  weather  was  cold,  and  the  ground  was  cold 
and  very  damp  from  recent  rains.  Several  sleepless 
hours  were  spent  gazing  upward  toward  heaven's 
starry  banner  that  seemed  to  protect  us  from  all 
harm,  but  finally  succumbed  to  nature's  sweet  re- 
storer, sleep.  At  an  early  hour  we  awakened  feel- 
ing very  uncomfortable  from  the  effects  of  the  cold, 
having  not  yet  got  accustomed  to  our  new  mode 
of  living. 


142  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Sketch  of  Army  Life. 

When  we  consider  that  nearly  fifty  years  have 
elapsed  since  the  close  of  that  war  the  young  peo- 
ple of  today  know  but  little  of  the  life  of  the  old 
soldier,  only  as  they  gather  it  from  the  often  meager 
accounts  given  in  history,  or  from  the  tongue  or 
pen  of  those  who  were  the  real  a*ctors.  We  believe 
the  latter  have  stored  up  in  their  minds  the  most 
interesting  portions  of  that  history,  because  they 
can  give  the  details,  as  gathered  from  their  ex- 
perience. In  this  light  we  propose  to  write  these 
few  sketches  of  a  portion  of  our  army  life  while  in 
Dixie.  We  will  state  that  nearly  all  our  notes  tffken 
in  this  campaign  are  lost,  and  we  write  as  only 
memory  dictates  those  occurrences  and  incidents  as 
now  come  to  our  mind,  and  shall  not  fail  to  notice 
anything  that  may  be  of  interest  that  we  can  at  this 
time  recall. 

We  were  a  member  of  the  First  Minnesota  In- 
fantry. This  regiment  was  composed  largely  of  the 
frontiersman  of  that  state  and  were  the  rough, 
hardy  pioneers  of  that,  then,  border  state.  It  was 
composed  largely  of  men  skilled  a-s  hunters  and  trap- 
pers, and  their  knowledge  of  pioneer  warfare  espe- 
cially adapted  them  to  fulfill  the  hazardous  duty 
of  skirmishers,  which  they  performed  with  such  skill 
that  they  were  usually  ordered  to  discharge  that 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  143 

dangerous  duty.    Its  company  of  sharpshooters  were 
hardly  equaled  by  any  at  the  front. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  and  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  was  still  lying  in  its  winter  quarters 
in,  or  near  Hatcher's  Run,  Va.,  anxiously  waiting 
for  the  opening  of  the  next  campaign.  It  need  not 
be  wondered  at,  that  many  of  the  soldiers  had  be- 
come attached  to  this,  their  abode  for  the  last  four 
months,  and  if  it  did  not  seem  like  home,  it  certainly 
often  presented  a-  homelike  appearance,  for  in  many 
cases  they  had  built  for  themselves  neat  cabins,  dug 
wells,  made  fireplaces  and  arranged  many  little  con- 
veniences, which  went  far  to  add  to  the  comfort  of 
the  soldier  at  the  front. 

It  was  rumored  we  were  soon  to  break  camp  and 
move,  we  could  not  tell  where,  for  a  soldier  is  sup- 
posed to  know  nothing  in  regard  to  his  future  move- 
ments, only  to  obey  orders,  unless  the  officers  see 
fit  to  inform  him.  This  rumor  seemed  to  be  verified 
when  we  were  aroused  a:  little  past  midnight  with 
the  order  to  ''fall  in"  for  several  days'  rations  and 
also  an  additional  forty  rounds  of  cartridges  to 
each  soldier.  From  this  time  until  daylight  the 
whole  encampment  was  astir— officers'  houses  were 
stripped  of  their  canvas  and  their  tents  were  taken 
down  and  were  being  loaded  on  the  heavy  army 
wagons,  and  it  was  evident  we  were  soon  to  bid 
adieu  to  our  present  location  and  enter  upon  differ- 
ent scenes. 

The  Confederate  army  were  strongly  fortified 
onlv  a  short  distance  in  our  front.  Some  conjectured 


144  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

we  were  to  engage  the  enemy  at  once  and  endeavor 
to  capture  these  works,  while  others,  and  probably 
the  majority,  thought  we  were  going  to  form  a  junc- 
tion with  Sherman's  army,  that  was  several  hundred 
miles  away.  Shortly  after  sunrise  the  troops  lying 
back  of  us  came  marching  down  in  solid  column, 
passing  near  our  encampment.  This  continued  for 
some  time,  until  in  the  distance  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  could  be  seen  the  unbroken  line  of 
soldiers. 

Soon  the  order  came  for  us  to  fall  in  and  help 
swell  the  crowd,  which  was  moving  to  the  left  or 
southerly  direction.  The  sun  was  now  shining 
bright  and  the  weather  warm.  It  was  evident  the 
soldiers  were  expecting  a  long  march,  for  they  soon 
began  to  lighten  their  knapsacks,  dispensing  with 
whatever  they  could  spare  best,  for  they  had  ac- 
cumulated through  the  kindness  of  friends  and 
otherwise,  many  things  that  added  to  their  comfort 
while  in  camp,  but  while  marching  in  the  hot  sun- 
shine day  after  day,  would  prove  too  much  of  a 
burden  to  carry,  consequently  the  ground  was  literal- 
ly strewn  with  blankets,  overcoats  and  other  articles 
of  clothing  that  would  encumber  them  on  a  long 
march. 

We  had  marched  but  a  few  miles  when  we  came 
to  a  sudden  halt.  We  then  formed  in  two  lines  of 
battle,  changed  our  course  and  marched  directly 
toward  the  enemy's  works,  the  front  line  being 
several  rods  in  advance  of  the  rear.  We  now  came 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  145 

to  a  stand  within  less  than  a  half  mile  of  their  breast- 
works and  near  a  dense  pine  forest. 

Skirmishers  were  now  thrown  out,  while  several 
pieces  of  artillery  were  placed  on  an  eminence  in  our 
rear.  The  skirmishers'  rifles  reported  that  there 
was  game  in  that  thicket,  but  they  soon  became 
more  quiet  and  an  officer  of  a  Michigan  regiment 
rode  out  to  reconnoiter.  One  of  the  enemy's  sharp- 
shooters in  a  tree  soon  spotted  him  and  he  was 
brought  to  the  rear  on  a  stretcher.  Passing  near  the 
end  of  our  regiment,  he  attracted  attention  by  his 
dying  groans  and  his  life  blood  trickling  through 
the  canvas.  ''Never  mind,"  says  an  officer,  "it  is 
nothing  but  a:  wounded  man.  There  will  be  plenty 
of  them  in  a  few  minutes!" 

While  we  were  still  standing  in  line  of  battle  near 
the  beautiful  timber,  a  peculiar  clattering,  roaring 
sound  fell  upon  our  ears.  The  Pioneer  Corps,  con- 
sisting of  several  thousand  men,  were  engaged  in 
cutting  down  the  timber  in  front  of  us  while  others 
commenced  bringing  along  this  material  and  form- 
ing it  into  what  we  might  call  a  tight  fence.  At 
the  same  time  men  with  spades  commenced  digging 
a  ditch  on  one  side  and  throwing  the  dirt  on  the 
other.  In  a  few  minutes  several  acres  of  the  timber 
in  front  of  us  had  disappeared  and  we  were  supplied 
with  a  very  efficient  barrier  against  bullets,  a  good 
breast  work  between  three  and  four  feet  in  height. 

We  kept  this  position  until  near  nightfall.  Dur- 
ing this  time  heavy  firing  was  going  on  but  a  short 
distance  at  our  left.  Heavy  clouds  overshadowed 


146  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

the  sky  and  the  weather  had  turned  cold  and  had 
the  appearance  of  a  storm.  Many  of  the  boys  wished 
they  had  retained  some  of  the  clothing  they  had 
thrown  away.  It  was  growing  dark  when  we  got 
an  order  to  move  forward  directly  toward  the 
enemy's  works.  Quite  a  lively  skirmish  occurred 
between  the  two  armies  for  a  while,  which,  with  the 
gathering  darkness,  gradually  died  away.  Night  had 
now  overtaken  us  lying  behind  the  works  the  Con- 
federates had  built  for  their  own  protection. 

The  enemy  haid  now  fallen  back  to  another  line 
of  works,  and  doubtless,  were  carefully  watching 
our  movements.  Wle  were  momentarily  expecting 
an  attack  and  everything  was  arranged  accordingly. 
A  heavy  guard  was  placed  along  the  line  and  we 
were  to  be  ready  for  action  set  a  moment's  warning, 
holding  our  rifles  in  our  hands,  whether  asleep  or 
awake.  We  were  not  allowed  to  build  fires  or  erect 
our  tents.  To  add  to  our  discomfort  a  disagreeable 
rainstorm  that  had  been  sprinkling  us  lightly,  now 
commenced  in  earnest,  which  made  our  situation 
seem  anything  but  agreeable.  A  large  portion  of 
our  regiment  were  on  guard  during  the  night.  Those 
who  had  the  privilege  of  sleeping,  crouched  upon 
the  ground  wrapped  in  their  blankets.  Our  condi- 
tion may  be  imagined.  Thick  darkness  all  around 
us.  We  could  perceive  only  those  of  our  comrades 
nearest  to  us  and  occasionally  hear  their  low  tones 
in  conversation  above  the  pattering  of  the  raindrops 
and  their  unpleasant  sensations  caused  us  generally 
to  pass  a  nearly  sleepless  night.  As  may  naturally 
be  expected  upon  these  occasions,  as  we  wearied 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  147 

away  the  tedious  hours,  the  soldier's  mind  reverted 
back  to  more  comfortable  quarters,  pleasant  fire- 
sides and  happy  homes  far  away. 

Morning  at  last  dawned  upon  us.  With  consider- 
able difficulty  a  fire  was  started  and  we  took  break- 
fast of  hardtack  and  coffee,  then  quietly  awaited 
orders.  It  was  nearly  the  middle  of  the  forenoon 
when  the  rain  slackened  and  we  received  the  order, 
*  *  Forward  march ! ' '  We  all  bounded  over  the  works 
in  front  of  us  and  marched  toward  the  timber  in  our 
front.  Each  soldier  re-capped  his  rifle,  we  then 
formed  skirmish  line  and  marched  directly  into  the 
thick  underbrush  interspersed  with  thorns  and 
briars,  where  we  supposed  a  portion  of  the  enemy 
were  awaiting  us.  But  we  saw  only  a  few  Johnnies ; 
these  we  surprised  and  they  were  taken  prisoners. 

We  soon  came  to  another  line  of  fortifications 
which  we  found  deserted,  although  their  fires  were 
still  burning  and  other  indications  showed  they  had 
no  desire  to  wait  for  us  and  left.  A  portion  of  the 
works  extended  over  the  top  of  a-  ridge,  near  a 
ravine,  and  overlooking  Fort  Rice,  a  strongly  built 
and  well  fortified  fort.  The  enemy  had  retreated 
within  the  fortifications  and  were  perfecting  every 
arrangement  to  receive  us.  We  were  soon  joined  by 
the  main  army  and  were  stationed  along  the  line  of 
the  works.  They  sent  us  a  few  solid  shot  from  their 
cannon  occasionally  tha;t  tore  through  our  barricade 
and  over  our  heads  and  went  crashing  through  the 
forest  in  our  rear  with  but  slight  damage  to  our 
troops. 


148  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

We  remained  here  nearly  all  the  balance  of  the 
day.  Heavy  firing  was  heard  on  our  left  toward  the 
latter  part  of  the  day.  W'e  encamped  near  this  spot 
on  a  field  of  plowed  ground,  or  corn  stubble,  using 
the  same  precautions  as  on  the  night  previous.  The 
weather  was  so  cold,  we  could  not  well  sleep  and 
were  obliged  to  get  up  occasionally  and  exercise  to 
keep  warm. 

OIL  the  Skirmish  Line. 

The  next  morning  we  started  early  changing  our 
position  to  the  left  and  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle 
just  out  of  range  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  A  large 
open  space  lay  in  our  front  and  adjacent  to  the 
fort.  The  booming  of  cannon  and  the  roar  of 
musketry  on  our  left  indicated  that  business  had 
commenced.  Nearer,  heavy  skirmishing  was  going 
on  which  threatened  to  extend  along  our  whole  line. 
Soon  an  orderly  rode  along  our  line  with  an  order 
for  the  First  Minnesota  to  form  skirmish  line  and 
advance.  This  order  was  not  received  with  a  very 
favorable  welcome  by  either  officers  or  men,  for  our 
route  lay  across  the  large  open  space  and  directly 
in  front  of  the  enemy's  guns  at  the  fort. 

We  formed  and  started  on  the  fast  run,  at  the  same 
time  our  artillery  commenced  vigorously  throwing 
shot  and  shell  at  the  fort.  We  were  soon  saluted  by 
some  shells  that  came  howling  down  upon  us  like  so 
many  infuriated  demons,  threatening  destruction  all 
around  them.  These  were  carefully  watched  and 
when  the  order  "Down"  was  given  the  whole  com- 
mand were  flat  upon  the  ground.  Soon  as  they 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  149 

passed,  we  again  pursued  our  course,  but  were  sev- 
eral times  similarly  interrupted  before  we  reached 
the  timber  on  the  opposite  side.  Fortunately  none 
of  these  shells  exploded  until  they  had  passed  us. 
They  were  so  well  directed  that  they  clipped  off  the 
tops  of  some  small  pines  but  a  few  feet  in  height,  as 
they  passed  over  us.  If  we  ha:d  been  a  few  rods 
further  from  the  fort,  very  likely  this  sketch  would 
never  have  been  written.  As  it  was,  there  were  but 
a  few  wounded.  Comrade  Hill  with  others  were  in- 
jured here  and  narrowly  escaped  death. 
On  Guard. 

Our  regiment  was  on  guard  again  tonight,  the 
line  being  formed  through  a  thick  body  of  timber. 
This  was  a  foggy  night  and  very  dark.  It  was  ascer- 
tained before  midnight  that  we  had  formed  our  lines 
too  far  out,  as  they  were  only  about  half  a-  mile  from 
the  enemy's  camp.  We  changed  them  in  order  to 
give  more  range  between  the  picket  lines. 

Early  next  morning  a  Johnny  jumped  up  a  few 
rods  in  our  front,  swung  his  hat  and  told  us  not  to 
shoot.  He  said  he  heard  our  pickets  talking  during 
the  night  while  he  was  coming  toward  our  lines,  so 
he  laid  down  in  a  hollow  in  the  ground  within  three 
rods  of  our  vidette  and  stayed  until  light. 

The  enemy  had  departed  under  cover  of  the  dark- 
ness and  were  putting  in  good  time  to  increase  the 
distance  between  us.  They  took  advantage  of  every 
available  object  to  deter  our  advance.  Lines  of 
works  were  thrown  up  upon  the  ridges  during  the 
night.  Their  rear  guard  stationed  there  were  pro- 


150  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

tected,  while  our  troops  were  advancing  without 
shelter.  In  thus  advancing,  very  many  of  our  men 
were  slain,  while  behind  each  line  of  works  were 
found  more  or  less  of  the  enemy's  slain,  from  the 
shot  and  shell  that  was  constantly,  with  but  short 
intervals,  being  sent  after  the  retreating  forces. 
Sometimes,  in  endeavoring  to  surround  these  forces 
that  were  barricaded,  we  would  march  to  the  right 
and  left.  If  we  could  cut  off  their  retreat,  they  were 
made  prisoners.  Thus  several  thousands  of  them 
fell  into  our  hands  each  day.  We  were  often  com- 
pelled to  make  hasty  and  circuitous  marches  and 
sometimes  travel  in  all  directions  in  order  to  accom- 
plish our  object. 

The  booming  of  cannon  and  the  rattle  of  musketry 
was  constantly  heard  from  early  morn  until  the  light 
faded  at  night.  Along  our  pathway  could  be  seen 
the  evidence  of  the  destruction  in  this  cruel  warfare. 
N'ear  the  top  of  the  ridge  we  see  the  field  pieces  of 
the  rebel  battery  being  spiked  and  unfit  to  use ;  also 
several  wagons,  some  parts  being  broken  and  useless. 
Side  by  side  lay  the  ghastly  forms  of  the  blue  and 
the  gray.  Dead  horses  and  mules  are  seen  every  few 
rods  along  our  route. 

A  wounded  officer  is  just  being  carried  by  his 
friends  beneath  a  shade  tree,  where  he  is  placed  upon 
a  blanket.  Around  him  are  lying  several  wounded 
soldiers,  all  sweltering  in  their  blood.  Their  groans 
are  heard  even  above  the  whizzing  of  bullets,  the 
booming  of  cannon  or  the  bursting  of  shells.  This  is 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO   THE   PACIFIC  151 

but  a  few  minutes'  picture  of  the  events  of  several 
years  ago. 

We  now  pass  along  a  space  of  dry,  level  country 
for  many  miles.  We  find  no  water.  The  soldiers  are 
suffering  from  thirst.  The  sun  shines  out  very  warm. 
Occasionally  a  well  is  found,  but  the  water  is  soon 
all  drawn  out,  and  thousands  are  obliged  to  go  along 
without  a  taste.  We  find  splendid  mansions,  some- 
times left  in  charge  of  a  few  slaves.  These  were 
generally  searched,  and  if  any  provisions  were  on  the 
premises,  they  were  usually  found,  for  the  soldiers 
would  not  be  satisfied  until  they  had  made  a  careful 
inspection  of  all  the  surroundings.  Sometimes  a 
buried  ham,  a  pet  pig,  a  secreted  goose,  or  setting 
hen  were  found  to  appease  the  pangs  of  hunger.  The 
situation  now  seemed  desperate,  for  the  relief  af- 
forded by  the  country  fell  far  short  of  appeasing  the 
appetites  of  the  hordes  of  hungry  soldiers  that  were 
passing  through  it. 

The  shells  from  our  artillery  often  wrought  deadly 
work  upon  the  retreating  army.  They  were  sent 
with  considerable  accuracy,  even  at  lon^  range.  The 
position  of  the  batteries  was  often  on  an  eminence  in 
our  rear  and  sent  their  missiles  over  our  heads  at 
the  enemy,  that  frequently  were  in  position  upon 
the  next  ridge.  The  effect  of  these  was  often  shown 
by  the  mangled  forms  that  lay  in  our  pathway. 

One  poor  fellow  having  the  top  of  his  foot  torn 
off,  was  lying  near  us,  as  we  were  passing,  and 
begged  piteously  for  water.  The  demand  was  sneered 
at  by  some  of  our  boys  and  they  even  cursed  him  for 


152  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

being  there  to  fight  us.  We,  believing  it  an  act  due 
to  humanity,  passed  him  our  canteen.  He  satisfied 
his  thirst  and  seemed  greatly  pleased.  The  words 
our  boys  had  given  him  seemed  to  hurt  him  greatly. 
Said  he  was  from  a  Georgia  regiment  and  he  was 
there  only  because  he  was  forced  into  the  service 
against  his  will.  This  was  a  statement  we  often 
heard  from  the  prisoners. 

Many  of  us  were  now  extremely  hungry,  some  hav- 
ing been  two  days  without  food.  It  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  the  officers'  horses  ate  their  corn  without 
its  being  stolen  from  them.  Some  of  the  officers 
guarded  their  horses  themselves  while  eating.  When 
they  had  finished,  the  soldiers  dug  up  what  was 
tramped  into  the  muddy  ground.  These  few  kernels 
of  corn  with  the  addition  of  coffee  were  the  only 
rations  of  many  of  the  soldiers  for  several  days. 
Whenever  we  had  an  opportunity  to  get  an  extra 
good  meal  afterwards,  the  comparison  was  always 
jovially  drawn  between  that  and  the  ones  we  used 
to  dig  for,  in  front  of  the  horses  and  mules. 

Skirmishing. 

We  were  now  in  a:  thick  forest  of  pine  trees.  A 
lively  skirmish  had  already  commenced  and  as  we 
advanced  bullets  were  continually  buzzing  around  us. 
Part  of  our  regiment  took  a  position  near  the  brow 
of  a  hill  overlooking  a  ravine,  on  the  other  side  of 
which,  the  enemy  were  posted.  The  other  portion 
went  to  the  left  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  enemy. 

In  a  short  time  a  squad  of  Johnnies  mode  their 
appearance  from  the  ravine  and  did  not  notice  us 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  153 

until  we  surprised  them,  when  they  dropped  their 
guns  and  swung  their  hats  and  were  made  prisoners. 
From  them  we  learned  something  of  the  strength  and 
position  of  their  army.  They  treated  some  of  us  with 
their  kind  of  hardtack  made  from  corn  meal.  All 
we  conversed  with  seemed  very  tired  and  sick  of  the 
war.  Our  regiment  captured  about  forty  prisoners 
while  we  were  here. 

We  were  in  a  position  where  we  were  liable  to  have 
a  larger  force  to  contend  with  at  any  moment,  and 
likely,  would  remain  during  the  night,  so  we  formed 
a  barricade  of  the  fallen  trees.  During  this  time 
the  bullets  were  flying  thick  around  us,  though  only 
a  few  were  wounded.  The  major  reproved  the  boys 
for  dodging  their  heads  when  a  bullet  came  close, 
saying,  it  was  too  late  to  dodge  it,  if  we  could  hear 
it.  Just  then  he  gave  a  wonderful  dodge,  a  bullet 
having  passed  through  his  hat.  When  reproved  for 
it,  he  thought  when  they  came  that  close,  they  might 
dodge. 

An  incident  happened  here  which  we  will  narrate, 
it  being  one  among  the  many  to  illustrate  fate.  Just 
after  we  had  completed  our  log  barricade,  one  of 
our  comrades  was  standing  in  front  of  a  tree  looking 
toward  the  enemy.  We  invited  him  to  sit  down, 
remarking  that  some  of  those  stray  bullets  might  hit 
him.  He  immediately  complied.  In  an  instant  a  bul- 
let buried  itself  in  the  tree,  in  the  right  place  to  have 
struck  him.  He  frequently  spoke  of  it,  afterward, 
acknowledging  that  the  timely  suggestion  saved  his 
life. 


154  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC 

Darkness  came  upon  us  here  and  those  who  had 
the  privilege,  were  soon  quietly  sleeping  upon  the 
ground  among  the  pines,  their  fallen  foliage  giving 
us  a  nice  bed — but  soldiers '  rests  generally  are  of  but 
short  duration.  We  were  routed  out  about  eleven 
o'clock  and  received  rations  and  a  further  supply  of 
cartridges,  then  marched  a  short  distance  and  joined 
a  large  body  of  troops.  We  could  not  tell  where  we 
were  going,  not  even  the  direction,  for  the  sky  was 
cloudy  and  a  thick  mist  was  falling  and  the  night 
was  very  dark.  It  was  evident  we  were  making  a 
stealthy  march,  for  only  the  steady  tramping  of  the 
soldiers  could  be  heard  both  in  front  and  rear.  In  a 
short  time  we  were  halted  and  ordered  to  rest  our- 
selves all  we  could,  but  not  to  leave  the  ranks.  The 
situation  was  not  very  favorable  for  resting,  for 
beneath  our  feet  appeared  nothing  but  inud  and 
water.  Though  we  could  do  no  better  than  to  ac- 
cept the  situation  and  soon  many  of  the  boys  were 
quietly  snoring  in  their  new  beds.  It  was  surmised 
we  were  about  to  make  an  attack,  probably  on  the 
fort.  This  was  the  largest  of  any  in  the  vicinity, 
well  armed  and  fortified,  protected  by  heavy  earth- 
works, a  deep  ditch  and  an  unsurmountable  fence 
about  ten  rods  in  front.  This  fence  was  made  of 
sharpened  sticks  placed  firmly  in  the  ground  and 
pointed  outward,  placed  so  thickly  a  person  could 
not  get  over.  These  had  to  be  removed  before  we 
could  come  in  contact  with  the  fort. 

We  were  aroused  while  yet  dark  and  marched  a 
short  distance,  piled  our  knapsacks  and  formed  in 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE   PACIFIC  155 

three  lines  of  battle  near  the  fort.  It  was  evident  we 
were  to  make  an  attack.  An  officer  who  was  at  head- 
quarters the  night  before  said  that  was  what  would 
soon  occur,  for  he  heard  the  proposition  made  by  a 
certain  officer,  that  if  ten  regiments  were  furnished 
him  he  could  capture  Port  Rice  the  next  morning  by 
daylight  and  the  proposition  was  agreed  to.  He 
picked  our  regiment  with  nine  others  and  they  were 
there  upon  the  ground  and  only  waiting  for  daylight 
to  appear.  Nearly  every  one  seemed  sober  and  in 
deep  reflection,  well  knowing  that  the  task  before 
us  could  not  be  accomplished  without  a  terrible 
slaughter. 

"Comrades  brave  around  us   lying, 

Filled  with  thoughts  of  home  and  God; 
Well  knowing  that  upon  the  morrow, 
Some  may  lie  beneath  the  sod." 

Streaks  of  daylight  began  to  appear  and  every- 
thing was  in  readiness  for  the  fatal  charge,  when  we 
noticed  a  single  horseman  coming  at  full  speed.  It 
was  General  Humphrey  our  Corps  Commander. 

Capturing-  the  Fort  and  Petersburg. 

After  saluting,  he  said  to  the  officer  in  command, 
"What  are  you  going  to  do  here?"  "We  are  going 
to  capture  that  fort,  General,"  was  the  reply.  "No, 
you  are  not,  sir, ' '  was  the  reply,  * '  I  will  not  have  my 
men  used  up  in  that  way.  Order  the  troops  back. 
I  will  take  the  fort,  myself,  tomorrow. ' '  The  soldiers 
received  the  sweetest  "About  face,"  they  had  heard 
for  many  a  day.  In  this  one  act  the  General  gained 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  large  portion  of  the 


156  FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

army,  and  nearly  every  soldier,  who  was  a  partici- 
pant in  the  proposed  charge,  looked  upon  him  as 
their  preserver.  For  months  afterwards,  whenever 
he  rode  along  our  lines,  he  was  heartily  cheered,  and 
the  soldiers  would  say,  ''There  goes  the  fellow  that 
saved  our  bacon!" 

We  lay  behind  these  works  the  greater  portion  of 
the  day,  the  weather  being  rainy  most  of  the  time. 
As  the  shades  of  night  came  on,  under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  the  soldiers  commenced  gathering  material 
far  in  the  rear  and  carried  it  up  to  within  easy 
range  of  the  fort,  where  a  line  of  breastworks  was 
thrown  up. 

The  sharpshooters  also  secreted  themselves  in 
every  available  spot  overlooking  the  guns  of  the 
fort.  The  artillery  were  placed  in  position  to  work 
destruction  to  the  inmates  of  the  fort.  The  whole 
army  were  at  work  the  greater  portion  of  the 
night.  As  soon  as  daylight  appeared  sufficient  to 
sight  the  guns,  there  commenced  a  terrific  cannon- 
ade. The  guns  at  the  fort  also  commenced,  but 
they  could  not  load  their  cannon  after  the  first 
shot  for,  wherever  a  head  was  shown,  it  was  soon 
pierced  with  bullets.  Shell,  grape  and  canister  were 
working  destruction  to  the  inmates  of  the  fort.  Soon 
a  fierce  charge  was  made  on  the  opposite  side  and 
an  immediate  surrender  was  effected.  At  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning  the  fort  was  captured  with  several 
thousand  prisoners.  They  told  us  they  never  knew 
bullets  to  come  any  thicker  than  they  did  there.  For 
the  purpose  of  drawing  our  fire  one  of  them  said  he 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  157 

placed  his  cap  on  the  top  of  the  ramrod  to  his  gun 
and  raised  it  above  the  works  for  an  instant.  When 
he  withdrew  it,  it  contained  nine  bullet  holes.  Some 
of  the  prisoners  were  swearing  mad,  especially  one, 
who  was  jumping  around  making  things  appear 
lively,  a  minie  ball  having  pierced  through  the  palm 
of  his  hand.  Our  loss  was  slight.  That  of  the  enemy 
much  greater. 

It  was  now  evident  that  the  Confederate  army 
was  on  the  retreat  toward  Petersburg.  Their  line 
had  been  broken  in  several  places  and  many 
prisoners  taken.  We  followed  the  retreating  army 
that  would  come  to  a  stand  frequently  in  order  to 
retard  our  progress,  taking  advantage  of  the  fortifi- 
cations that  were  in  their  pathway.  Often  long  lines 
of  troops  were  sheltered  behind  these  works  that 
gave  them  great  advantage  over  their  pursuers.  We 
were  obliged  often  in  these  cases  to  make  hasty 
marches  to  out-flank  them.  Generally,  the  enemy 
suddenly  retreated,  or  were  surrounded  and  taken 
prisoners. 

Several  smaller  forts  lay  on  our  route  toward 
Petersburg.  Some  of  them  were  easily  captured, 
being  mostly  evacuated  on  the  approach  of  our 
troops.  In  one  small  fort  manned  by  250  men,  a 
determined  resistance  was  made  and  it  required 
three  desperate  charges,  with  heavy  losses,  before 
they  surrendered.  Around  this  fort  the  ground  was 
thickly  strewn  with  our  fallen  comrades.  It  was 
estimated  that  600  were  killed  in  its  capture. 


158  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC  TO   THE   PACIFIC 

The  enemy  now  beat  a  hasty  retreat  behind  the 
strong  fortifications  of  Petersburg  which  was  now 
besieged  by  the  Union  troops,  by  forming  heavy 
lines  of  works  in  its  front  and  a  continual  pouring 
of  shot  and  shell  upon  that  fortified  city.  It  was 
doomed  to  succumb  by  the  treatment  it  was  now 
receiving,  but  not  without  fearful  loss  to  its  captors, 
for  many  of  our  troops  stood  at  long  range  without 
any  protection  whatever,  and  were  constantly  fall- 
ing from  the  deadly  missiles  of  the  enemy.  The 
hospital  was  at  a  large  mansion  several  miles  from 
the  city  and  the  large  ambulance  train  was  kept  busy 
taking  the  wounded  thither  during  the  several  days 
of  the  siege.  The  final  charge,  though  met  with 
obstinate  resistance  and  heavy  losses  to  the  Union 
troops,  resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  city,  after  the 
greater  portion  of  the  Confederate  army  had  beaten 
a  hasty  retreat  within  the  works  at  Richmond.  Our 
regiment  bivouacked  for  the  night  a  few  miles  from 
Petersburg.  The  writer  slept  soundly  in  the  midst 
of  a  thick  patch  of  hazel  brush. 

The  next  morning  we  turned  our  faces  toward 
the  besieged  Capital  city. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  159 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Capture  of  Richmond. 

We  had  not  proceeded  far  when  we  halted  and 
received  the  joyful  news  that  Richmond  had  fallen 
and  the  Confederate  army  were  retreating  toward 
Lynchburg,  and  it  was  for  the  interest  of  every 
soldier  to  capture  the  fleeing  troops  before  they 
gained  possession  of  their  fortifications  at  that  point. 
The  Union  troops  were  now  in  their  best  spirits  and 
were  eager  to  meet  the  enemy  on  equal  footing. 

Soon  a  black  cloud  of  troops  made  their  appear- 
ance. It  was  the  24th  Corps  of  colored  troops.  These 
were  the  first  troops  that  entered  Richmond  and  were 
a  lusty,  jolly  and  happy  crowd  of  darkies,  causing 
considerable  merriment  among  their  white  comrades 
by  their  comical  remarks  and  grotesque  appearance. 
While  passing  our  regiment,  one  of  our  company 
sang  "Babylon's  "Fallen,"  that  brought  out  the 
broad  smile  and  comical  gestures  and  made  their 
eyes  roll  with  joy. 

Nearly  two  hours  in  passing  were  consumed  by 
the  troops  that  were  engaged  in  the  fall  of  Rich- 
mond, before  it  became  our  turn  to  join  them.  It 
was  after  ten  when  we  started  and  reached  our 
camping  ground  at  a  late  hour,  having  traveled 
thirty  miles.  The  soldiers  having  a  hard  march  and 
fuel  being  scarce,  they  paid  no  attention  to  supper, 


160  FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

but  as  soon  as  they  arrived,  rolled  in  their  blankets 
and  were  soon  fast  asleep.  We  were  aroused  at  3 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  though  we  did  not  start 
till  after  daylight.  The  enemy  were  now  in  our  front 
and  the  constant  order  was,  "Hurry  up,  boys, 
hurry  up!" 

We  had  received  rations  some  five  or  six  days 
before,  but  many  of  the  boys  were  at  this  time  living 
on  very  short  rations.  Fresh  beef  and  coffee  were 
the  only  rations  Uncle  Sam  wa-s  now  supplying  us 
with,  and  these  were  destined  soon  to  be  scarce.  The 
large  drove  of  cattle  that  started  with  us,  was  fast 
disappearing;  each  evening,  as  soon  as  we  reached 
our  night's  camping  place,  a-  small  herd  was  driven 
in  near  the  center  of  our  troops,  then  shot  and 
dressed  by  the  butchers,  after  which  it  was  dealt  out 
to  the  various  regiments.  It  was  a  difficult  task  to 
make  the  cattle  keep  near  enough  to  us  so  we  could 
use  them  for  rations  and  only  the  best  travelers 
could  do  so  by  traveling  early  and  late.  When  they 
arrived  for  slaughter,  they  resembled  race  horses 
about  as  much  as  they  did  beef  cattle.  It  seemed 
out  of  the  question  for  the  supply  train  to  get  us 
provisions.  After  a  few  more  days  of  rapid  travel 
the  beef  ration  failed,  when  we  had  to  rely  on  our 
own  resources.  The  Confederate  army  being  out  of 
rations,  were  obliged  to  subsist  on  the  country 
products  they  could  procure  in  their  hasty  retreat 
and  they  would  sometimes  leave  a  little  in  the  shape 
of  edibles  though  their  60,000  men  generally  took 
everything. 


FROM  THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC  161 

It  was  nearly  night  when  we  were  passing  the 
premises  upon  which  stood  a  respectable  dwelling, 
though  the  only  person  that  we  saw  about  was  an 
old  negro,  who  stood  near  the  sta-ble  pleasantly  gaz- 
ing at  our  coming  troops.  They  seemed  to  astonish 
him  somewhat,  for  he  exclaimed,  "Lor',  hebens! 
Wher'  all  you  sogers  come  from?  Seem  zo  you  cum 
rite  out  ob  de  grounV  Some  one  says:  "Sambo, 
you  are  free  now. "  "  Yes,  Massa,  bress  de  lawd ! 
I'se  a  free  niggah!"  When  asked  if  he  had  seen 
any  Johnnies,  he  replied,  "Yes,  Massa;  plenty 
Johnnies  right  ober  de  hill  yonda."  Just  then  a 
nice  calf  came  bounding  from  the  back  side  of  the 
stable,  which  our  boys  captured  and  dressed  and 
in  a  few  minutes  it  was  on  their  bayonets  moving 
toward  their  camping  ground  for  the  night. 

Our  regiment  was  placed  on  picket  guard  during 
the  night.  In  establishing  the  guard  line  posts, 
usually  consisting  of  five  men  in  charge  of  a  sergeant 
or  corporal,  they  are  numbered  and  are  placed  from 
ten  to  fifteen  rods  apart,  forming  a  continuous  line 
around  the  encampment,  usually  at  a  distance  of 
one  quarter  to  one-half  mile  from  the  main  army. 
Prom  each  of  these  posts  a  single  sentinel  is  placed 
from  five  to  ten  rods  on  the  outside  toward  the 
enemy.  This  position  he  holds  from  one  to  two 
hours  when  he  is  relieved  by  another  member  of 
the  post.  Our  instructions  were  to  challenge  no  one, 
but  shoot  at  the  first  one  appearing.  On  a  dark  or 
stormy  night  this  is  a  very  lonely  position. 


162  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

It  was  evident  that  the  Confederate  army  were 
continually  becoming  more  demoralized  as  a  larger 
number  of  prisoners  were  taken  daily  and  many  of 
their  soldiers  were  becoming  disheartened.  Deser- 
tions were  more  frequent  and  the  prisoners  were 
nearly  unanimous  in  expressing  their  opinion  that 
they  were  sick  of  war,  while  the  Union  army,  though 
fatigued,  hungry  and  footsore,  believing  they  were 
a-bout  to  accomplish  the  object  for  which  they  had 
suffered  so  many  privations,  were  in  the  best  of 
spirits  and  rushed  forward  with  all  the  energy  in 
their  power — capturing  a  larger  portion  of  the 
enemy's  train  than  ever  before,  as  they  were  cross- 
ing a  little,  miry  stream  that  was  not  fordable,  there 
being  but  one  little  bridge  for  them  to  cross  on.  The 
cavalry  supported  by  the  infantry  cut  off  their  re- 
treat though  a  sharp  encounter  occurred  with  the 
rear  guard  before  they  left  the  train.  In  this  capture 
there  were  225  wagons.  Many  of  these  still  had  the 
teams  attached  to  them,  while  many  of  the  drivers 
rode  away  and  left  their  wagons.  Our  loss  in  this 
capture  was  said  to  be  about  sixty.  There  were  a 
large  number  of  ambulances;  also  wagons  stored 
from  the  commissary  department  including  drugs 
enough  to  stock  a  drug  store,  captured  here  also 
many  citizen's  waggons  that  were  with  the  army 
train. 

Some  of  the  soldiers  looked  eagerly  into  the  dif- 
ferent wagons  to  see  if  they  could  find  something  to 
eat.  In  one  wagon  the  writer  found  several  sacks 
of  meal.  Fearing  it  might  be  "doctored"  with  some 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  163 

of  the  medicine  of  an  adjoining  wagon,  the  sack 
was  slit  near  the  bottom  and  our  haversack  filled.  It 
was  nice  and  white,  though  unsifted. 

A  portion  of  the  Confederate  army  were  now  get- 
ting their  breakfast  on  the  brushy  ridge  beyond  the 
stream,  while  their  train  was  crossing.  A  few  shells 
thrown  among  them  and  a  lively  gait  of  our  forces, 
caused  them  to  stampede  suddenly.  In  many  cases 
they  left  their  frying  pans  on  the  fires  that  were 
burning  briskly.  Taking  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity, we  hastily  mixed  some  of  the  meal  in  our 
tin  cup  and  poured  the  contents  into  one  of  these 
hot  frying  pans.  In  a  short  time  we  had  a  nicely 
cooked  cake.  It  had  now  been  three  days  since  we 
had  tasted  any  food,  except  the  few  kernels  of  corn 
before  referred  to.  We  had  previous  to  this  sampled 
a  great  many  of  what  were  called  excellent  cakes, 
but  we  thought  this  one  far  ahead  of  any  we  had 
ever  before  tasted. 

We  now  rapidly  followed  the  retreating  army, 
capturing  many  prisoners  and  more  of  their  train. 
The  scenes  we  encountered  were  similar  to  those  of 
several  days  previous,  only  more  captures  were 
made.  When  we  stopped  for  the  night,  we  found 
that  many  of  our  comrades  had  not  been  so  for- 
tunate in  getting  something  to  eat,  and  our  wish 
was  that  we  had  a  larger  supply  of  meal  to  share 
with  them.  Though  we  had  taken  enough  to  last  us 
a  week,  it  was  all  gone  before  the  next  night. 
There  was  generally  a  spirit  of  generosity  among 
the  soldiers.  If  one  happened  to  meet  a  streak  of 


164  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

good  fortune,  his  comrades  were  ever  ready  to  assist 
him,  especially  if  it  was  about  something  good  to 
eat. 

The  next  morning  General  Grant  rode  along  the 
line  in  our  rear,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  he  having 
established  his  headquarters  a  short  distance  back 
of  us. 

Gen.   Grant's  Questions  Answered. 

The  headquarters  where  Gen.  Grant  and  his  staff 
went  into  quarters  for  the  night  when  the  army 
was  on  the  march  was  always  supposed  to  be  the 
most  protected  place  that  could  be  found.  This 
was  considered  essential,  for  the  best  interests  of 
the  army  was  to  protect  its  officers.  Sometimes, 
and  probably  the  most  usually  selected  position  was 
a  safe  distance  in  the  rear.  If  on  the  field  with  the 
main  army  they  were  in  close  proximity  with  the 
troops  or  a  heavy  guard  formed  around  them. 

After  Petersburg  and  Richmond  had  surrendered 
and  the  Confederate  army  were  in  full  retreat,  the 
officers  connected  with  Gen.  Grant's  staff  were  feel- 
ing quite  hilarious  after  we  had  followed  the  enemy 
a  few  days.  It  seemed  for  a  certainty  that  their  army 
would  soon  be  captured,  and  I  believe  Gen.  Grant 
thought  so  himself. 

I  having  an  injured  foot  was  given  a  permit  to 
leave  the  regiment  and  travel  as  I  pleased.  One 
day  I  was  overtaken  by  Gen.  Grant  and  his  staff. 
I  noticed  they  were  feeling  pretty  good  and  I  think 
the  general  thought  he  would  have  a  little  fun; 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  165 

When  he  came  opposite  to  me  he  took  his  cigar  from 
his  month  and  looking  peeringly  at  me,  said: 
"What  army  do  you  belong  to?"  The  reply  came 
very  quickly:  "The  Union  Army,  sir."  I  believe 
the  reply  was  not  just  as  he  had  expected,  for 
nearly  all  of  the  members  of  his  staff  laughed.  He 
asked:  "What  regiment?"  I  said,  "First  Minne- 
sota." "Why  are  you  not  with  it?"  I  said,  "Be- 
cause I  had  the  privilege  to  go  otherwise."  "Who 
gave  you  the  privilege?"  "The  surgeon  of  my 
regiment."  "Have  you  the  papers  for  it?"  I  told 
him  I  had  and  handed  him  my  permit  that  he  after- 
ward returned  to  be  by  his  orderly.  This  was  the 
first  and  only  time  that  I  conversed  with  a  gen- 
eral while  in  the  army.  He  went  on  his  way  know- 
ing a  little  more  than  when  we  met. 

The  Army  Telegraph. 

We  frequently  would  notice  the  old  telegraph 
mule  following  us  up,  laying  the  wire  on  the  ground 
behind  him  as  he  passed  along.  We  think  this  wire 
was  encased  in  some  substance  as  it  resembled  a 
cord  being  wound  upon  a  reel  and  placed  in  the 
saddle.  Messages  from  the  extreme  front  were 
rapidly  despatched  and  communication  kept  up 
with  headquarters  through  the  aid  of  the  telegraph. 

Our  army  were  now  getting  very  much  fatigued 
and  many  could  not  stand  the  treatment  they  were 
receiving.  The  rapid  marching,  the  fording  of 
streams  and  sleeping  upon  the  ground  in  their  wet 
clothing  was  acting  very  unfavorably  on  the  health 


166  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

of  our  boys.  They  were  continually  falling  by  the 
wayside,  and  the  large  train  of  ambulances  was 
constantly  filled  with  the  sick  soldiers. 

Along  our  pathway  could  be  seen  the  dead  bodies 
of  horses  and  mules  that  had  succumbed  from  the 
effect  of  shot,  shell,  disease  and  fatigue,  sometimes 
lying  so  thick  that  the  train  could  not  pass  without 
running  over  them.  Disease  or  fatigue  would  fre- 
unently  cause  them  to  lie  down.  If  they  did  not 
get  up  and  travel  with  the  rest  of  the  team,  they 
were  immediately  shot  and  other  animals  took  their 
places.  The  feed  for  the  animals  was  equally  as 
scarce  as  that  of  the  men ;  in  fact,  many  of  the  ani- 
mals were  nearly  starved.  This  accounted  for  the 
heavy  losses  among  the  horses  and  mules. 

Often  we  came  to  the  little  villages  containing  a 
few  dwellings,  store  and  warehouse.  One  fact  was 
noticeable,  that  the  school  houses  that  we  so  fre- 
quently pass  in  the  northern  states,  were  few  here 
and  far  between.  The  illiteracy  of  the  people  was 
apparent,  as  shown  in  their  common  conversation. 
Often  their  explanation  of  history  and  geography 
caused  laughable  incidents  among  our  boys  who  had 
received  the  advantages  of  the  common  school. 

Doubtless  the  institution  of  slavery  that  had  been 
allowed  to  exist  had  brought  about  a  certain  degree 
of  dormancy  that  ever  seemed  prevalent  among 
them.  It  showed  itself  in  the  progress  they  had 
made  in  the  agricultural  pursuits,  the  tools  that 
were  used  being  similar  to  those  of  our  forefather's 
of  a  half  century  previous.  The  old  wooden  mould- 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC  167 

board  plow,  strapped  with  iron,  was  still  found  as 
their  plow,  the  hand  sickle  instead  of  the  improved 
reaper,  the  flail  instead  of  the  threshing  machine, 
the  old  fashioned,  heavy,  iron  hoe  instead  of  the 
light,  steel  hoe.  These  plainly  showed  that  progres- 
sion was  in  the  background  and  the  boys  in  blue 
were  destined  to  bring  about  a  revolution. 

One  of  these  villages  we  found  nearly  deserted. 
The  store  was  left  to  itself  and  the  boys  haxi  to 
wait  upon  themselves.  The  stock  was  greatly  re- 
duced, still  considerable  remained.  Jewelry,  writing 
paper  and  a  few  light  articles  were  all  the  boys 
cared  to  partake  of.  The  former  was  a  cheap  grade 
and  the  latter  of  a  poor  quality.  Still,  the  paper 
caused  a  thrill  of  joy  to  exist  in  the  heart  of  many 
a  northern  home.  When,  a  short  time  after,  the 
news  of  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  army  and 
the  safety  of  those  they  loved,  was  hurriedly  penned 
to  fathers,  mothers,  wives,  brothers,  sisters  and 
sweethearts,  that  they  would  soon  greet  them  with 
their  presence  it  was  written  to  them  on  this  paper. 

In  one  of  the  large  stores  was  found  a  big  lot 
of  tobacco.  It  was  evident  that  some  of  the  boys 
knew  what  it  was  to  be  "out"  and  improved  the 
opportunity  to  lay  in  a  supply.  Some  we  think 
carried  this  to  an  extreme,  for  one,  a  Scandinavian, 
after  filling  his  pockets,  packed  what  he  could  of 
the  "plug"  in  his  knapsack,  then  tied  up  a  large 
bundle  of  the  leaf.  This  he  fastened  to  the  top  of 
his  knapsack.  His  small  stature  and  his  high  pack 
with  at  least  a  year's  supply  of  tobacco  looming 


168  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

high  above  his  head,  presented  a  ludicrous  appear- 
ance, causing  much  merriment  among  the  boys, 
who  got  all  the  fun  out  of  it  they  could  in  several 
miles'  travel,  when,  by  order  of  an  officer,  he  was 
forced  to  throw  nearly  all  of  it  away. 

Frequently  large  numbers  of  prisoners  were  cap- 
tured; also  portions  of  their  train  fell  into  our 
hands.  In  this  train  might  be  found  several  mover's 
wagons  containing  families  and  their  furniture. 
They  had  been  taught  to  believe  that  the  Yankees 
were  terrible  creatures  and  would  annihilate  them 
on  their  first  appearance.  Thus  they  left  their 
homes  and  lands  and  went  with  their  army.  Some 
expressed  surprise  upon  seeing  us  that  we  so  much 
resembled  human  beings.  They  had  been  taught 
to  believe  as  one  old  woman  expressed  it:  "We 
uns  tho  't  you  uns  had  horns ! ' ' 

In  one  of  these  captures,  several  mules  were  ta- 
ken. It  seemed  they  were  very  tired  and  nearly 
starved  to  death.  The  writer  conceived  the  idea 
that  it  would  be  a  grand  thing  to  ride  one  of  these 
mules,  as  he  was  suffering  from  an  injured  foot  and 
traveling  was  painful.  They  were  turned  out  graz- 
ing. "With  some  difficulty  one  was  caught,  but  there 
was  no  bridle  or  halter.  What  could  be  done?  "Ne- 
cessity is  the  mother  of  invention."  Two  withes 
were  found  and  a  string  fastened  across  the  ends 
served  for  a  bit,  while  the  withes  served  for  reins. 
After  forming  a  saddle  from  the  blanket  and  tent 
cloth,  the  wonderful  charger  was  mounted.  We 
were  then  one  of  the  mounted  infantry  and  went  on 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  169 

our  way  rejoicing.  This,  doubtless,  was  the  sorriest 
looking  mule  in  the  southern  confederacy.  He  had 
spent  nearly  all  his  substance,  beauty,  strength  and 
energy  in  trying  to  destroy  the  Union.  Now  his 
efforts  were  turned  in  a  different  direction  and  we 
believe  if  his  strength  had  been  equal  to  his  ambi- 
tion the  war  might  have  closed  sooner  than  it  did. 

These  tiresome  marches  often  taxed  the  strength 
and  endurance  of  our  boys.  The  soldier  fully 
equipped  with  knapsack  containing  change  of  cloth- 
ing, blankets,  tent,  material  for  washing,  writing, 
etc. ;  with  haversack  containing  rations,  knife,  fork, 
spoon,  cup  and  cooking  utensils;  add  to  these  the 
accoutrements  with  heavy  rifle  and  40  rounds  of 
ammunition  and  the  burden  is  about  45  pounds. 
This  seems  much  heavier  when  traveling  over  a 
rough  country,  making  hasty  marches,  and  the 
soldier  often  lightened  his  knapsack  to  his  discom- 
fort at  night. 

Comrade  J  was  small  and  very  eccentric.  The 
burden  was  too  heavy  for  him,  so  he  threw  his 
well  filled  knapsack  in  the  ditch.  That  night  after 
all  fires  were  ordered  out  he  curled  up  beside  the 
glowing  embers  that  were  now  fast  turning  to 
ashes.  The  night  being  cold,  he  warmed  one  side 
thoroughly,  then  turning  over,  was  soon  sleeping 
soundly.  About  midnight  he  was  awakened  by  a 
treacherous  foe  that  had  attacked  him  in  the  rear. 
Through  prompt  aid  he  was  saved  with  only  the 
loss  of  the  skirts  to  his  blouse  and  the  back  part  of 
his  pants.  Being  very  tired  his  sleeping  form  was 


170  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

soon  seen  encircled  around  the  warm  ashes  of  the 
camp  fire.  During  his  sleep  his  cap  fell  an  easy 
prey  to  the  same  element.  The  next  morning  he 
reported  in  "light  marching  order,"  creating  fun 
for  the  boys. 

In  an  unexpected  moment  a  loving  comrade  is 
stricken  down  from  the  unerring  aim  of  a  deadly 
missile.  With  feelings  of  sadness  we  lay  him  away 
to  his  rest  beneath  the  branches  of  the  spreading 
oak.  No  friendly  tear  marks  the  solemnity  of  the 
occasion,  however  friendless  or  sad  it  may  be.  No 
casket  enshrouds  those  precious  remains,  except 
those  accompanied  in  martial  array.  We  sorrow- 
fully leave  that  lonely  mound  and  often  we  wonder 
what  loving  hand  will  condescend  to  strew  flowers 
upon  that  grave.  We  can  but  believe  that  the  in- 
visible hand  of  Him  that  notes  the  "sparrow's  fall," 
will  not  fail  to  send  up  the  tiny  plant  upon  that 
grave,  being  nourished  and  watered  by  the  dews  of 
heaven,  increasing  in  size  and  strength,  and  on 
each  Decoration  Day  sending  forth  its  beautiful 
blossoms,  that  open  their  petals,  sending  forth  their 
rich  fragrance  mixed  with  the  balmy  breezes 
permeating  the  atmosphere  all  around,  and  nodding 
their  heads  in  joyous  triumph  o'er  the  grave  of  our 
fallen  hero. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC  171 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Surrender  at  Appomattox. 

The  next  day  the  booming  of  the  cannon  and  the 
clatter  of  the  musketry  that  were  dealing  death  and 
destruction  to  many  of  the  soldiers,  as  we  had  wit- 
nessed each  day  since  we  had  been  in  this  campaign, 
suddenly  stopped.  It  was  evident  that  something 
unusual  had  happened.  There  was  a  suspension 
of  hostilities  while  arrangements  were  being  made 
upon  the  conditions  of  a  surrender.  Sheridan  with 
his  horde  of  cavalry  was  on  hand  and  had  flung 
themselves  across  the  pathway  of  the  fleeing  army. 
There  now  seemed  no  alternative  but  surrender  or 
annihilation  for  the  fatigued,  dwindled  and  dis- 
couraged Confederate  army,  as  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  multitude  of  determined  Union  troops, 
that  were  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  our  forefathers 
that  seemed  to  say,  "We'll  conquer,  or  die." 

Soon  after  the  close  of  this  conference,  the  joyful 
tidings  came  along  the  lines  that  Gen.  Lee  and 
the  Confederate  army  had  surrendered.  At  first 
it  was  not  believed  by  many  of  the  boys,  while 
others  cheered  lustily.  It  soon  became  evident  that 
such  was  the  case  and  the  grand  jollification  com- 
menced. Caps,  blouses,  haversacks  flew  high  in  the 
air.  Cheer  after  cheer  rent  the  air  with  their  many 
thousand  voices,  making  the  old  hills  and  forests 
of  Appomattox  resound  as  they  never  did  before. 


172  FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

Just  then  the  artillery,  every  piece  that  was  able 
to  speak,  belched  forth  its  notes  of  joy,  making  the 
hills  and  forests  tremble.  There  probably  never 
was  so  much  rejoicing  among  soldiers  as  happened 
there.  They  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  they 
were  ever  tired  or  footsore,  but  more  like  they  did 
not  have  room  to  contain  themselves,  or  were  trying 
to  fly. 

"We'll  soon  be  home,  says  one;"  then  cheer 
after  cheer  would  rend  the  air. 

"I  believe  we  will  get  home  soon,"  says  another; 
then  it  would  be  cheer  again. 

Another  little  fellow  says,  "Yes,  we  will,"  as 
he  jumped  high  in  the  air,  "and  I'll  have  a  chance 
to  see  my—,"  as  the  last  word  was  drowned  in 
noise,  we  will  have  to  guess  what  it  was. 

Similar  rejoicings  were  kept  up  about  two  hours, 
during  which  time  the  soldiers  nearly  shouted  and 
howled  themselves  hoarse.  When  they  cheered,  it 
was  not  confined  to  one  or  two  regiments,  but  ex- 
tended along  the  whole  line.  Everybody  seemed 
in  earnest  and  these  rejoicing  tones  made  the  woods 
and  valleys  ring. 

During  this  time  General  Grant  and  General  Lee 
rode  along  our  front,  side  by  side,  amid  the  deafen- 
ing shouts  of  the  boys  in  blue. 

Soon  the  bands,  we  think  every  one  in  the  army 
of  the  Potomac,  assembled  and  commenced  dis- 
coursing some  of  the  sweetest  martial  music  we  had 
ever  heard,  playing  in  concert  such  pieces  as  "Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  "America,"  "Dixie,"  "Sweet 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  173 

Home,"  "Who  Will  Care  for  Mother  Now?"  etc., 
the  chorus  of  the  latter  being  joined  by  thousands 
of  soldiers*  voices,  making  the  hills  of  Appomattox 
echo  with  their  melodious  strains. 

Soon  the  order  came  for  the  1st  Minnesota  to  go 
on  guard.  We  formed  our  picket  line  for  the  last 
time  between  the  blue  and  the  gray,  who  were  just 
over  the  ridge  about  one-half  mile,  having  stacked 
arms  and  were  quietly  lying  on  the  ground.  Before 
dark  a  number  of  Johnnies  came  over.  They  begged 
for  hardtack;  said  they  were  nearly  starved.  They 
generally  expressed  themselves  as  pleased  that  the 
fighting  was  over  and  they  could  go  home.  They 
seemed  well  supplied  with  their  money,  so  a  spirit 
of  speculation  sprang  up  among  the  boys,  many  of 
them  starting  a  system  of  brokerage.  When  their 
stock  came  down  to  98  per  cent  discount,  many  of 
our  boys  invested  their  fractional  currency  at  par 
for  their  scrip  at  the  discount. 

Before  dark  the  Johnnies  that  were  visiting 
among  our  boys  and  did  not  depart  for  their  homes, 
were  sent  to  their  camp.  Our  orders  that  night 
were  as  strict  as  usual  to  challenge  no  one,  but 
shoot  at  any  one  approaching  our  lines.  The  next 
morning,  though  rainy,  the  "money  changers" 
were  on  hand  and  quite  a  number  of  trades  were 
made  between  the  blue  and  the  gray.  Rations  were 
issued  to  the  troops  of  both  armies,  which  made 
our  rations  scanty.  Our  army  rested  during  the 
day,  while  the  larger  portion  of  the  confederate 
troops  started  for  their  homes. 


174  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE   PACIFIC 

We  now  come  to  the  closing  scenes  in  our  career 
as  a  soldier.  Upon  the  sunny  faces  of  our  com- 
rades, we  can  but  notice,  that,  at  times,  over  the 
sunbeams  there  seems  a  cloud.  When  we  collect 
our  scattered  forces  the  ranks  are  not  filled.  Why 
is  this?  Where  are  the  1,000  strong  that  were  at 
Bull  Run?  Where  are  the  700  since  added  to  the 
muster  roll  as  regiment  and  battalion  that  have  fol- 
lowed the  old  battle  flag?  Let  us  unfurl  that  banner 
of  liberty  to  the  breeze  of  Appomattox.  In  a 
language  of  silence  it  speaks  to  us  through  its  tat- 
tered and  torn  appearance,  through  the  large  rup- 
ture where  the  shell  coursed  its  way  onward; 
through  the  bullet  holes  that  have  completely  rid- 
dled it;  through  the  blood  stains  of  its  slain  heroes 
it  now  carries.  It  compares  favorably  with  the 
decimated  ranks  now  with  us,  which  at  the  present 
time  number  less  than  200  men.  Where  are  the 
others?  Many  are  lying  scattered  along,  upon  or 
beneath  some  of  the  many  battlefields  following 
that  flag  to  where  we  now  see  it  at  the  final  sur- 
render of  the  confederate  army  at  Appomattox, 
April  9th,  1865. 

To  the  old  comrades  who  may  glance  over  these 
sketches,  we  would  say:  "Let  us  be  manly,  con- 
sistent and  obedient  to  the  laws  of  self  government ; 
let  us  show  fidelity  and  friendship  to  all,  especially 
our  comrades.  We  may  often  have  wondered  as  we 
stood  elbow  to  elbow  in  the  great  conflict,  that 
"the  one  was  taken  and  the  other  left."  As  thou- 
sands are  answering  to  the  last  roll  call  each  week, 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  175 

it  will  soon  be  our  turn  to  "fall  in."  Let  us  so 
live  that  we  can  "form  in  line"  and  " parade"  in 
the  bright  beyond. 

In  writing  these  few  sketches,  it  has  been  our 
aim  to  interest  the  young.  If  we  have  so  succeeded, 
it  has  fulfilled  our  desire.  We  fondly  hope  it  may 
never  fall  to  their  lot  to  be  participants  in  the 
scenes  of  cruel  warfare.  It  is  our  earnest  wish  that 
you  may  ever  be  patriotic,  truthful,  temperate,  kind 
and  obedient,  and  that  the  flowers  of  prosperity 
and  happiness  may  ever  bloom  along  your  pathway. 

A  Yankee  Trick. 

It  was  near  our  camp  that  our  pickets  were  ever 
getting  into  trouble  with  the  pickets  of  the  enemy. 
On  one  of  the  outer  posts  nearly  every  night  some 
of  our  pickets  were  killed.  It  was  ascertained  this 
was  done  by  a  sharpshooter  who  had  secreted  him- 
self by  burrowing  himself  where  he  had  a  conspicu- 
ous view  of  our  picket  post.  After  several  men 
had  been  killed  there  it  begun  to  look  like  a  serious 
undertaking  and  very  risky  to  occupy  that  posi- 
tion. 

After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  dislodge 
him  the  matter  was  taken  up  by  a  comrade  who 
proposed  to  show  him  a  Yankee  trick.  Having 
procured  a  musket  and  fastened  it  securely  between 
two  small  trees  under  cover  of  darkness  after  at- 
taching a  stout  cord  to  the  trigger  of  the  gun  that 
was  placed  a  short  distance  in  front  of  the  enemy's 
rifle  pit,  he  took  up  a  position  at  a  point  where  he 


176  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

could  obtain  a  good  view  and  here  waited  for  the 
dawn  of  day.  When  it  was  sufficiently  light  to  see 
how  to  shoot,  he  gave  the  cord  a  pull  and  the  loud 
report  of  a  gun  was  heard  in  front.  Mr.  Sharp- 
shooter stuck  up  his  head  to  see  who  was  shooting, 
when  it  was  suddenly  pierced  through  with  a  bullet 
from  the  gun  of  the  avenging  Yankee.  The  scheme 
worked  just  as  he  had  expected  it  would  and  re- 
sulted in  the  abandonment  of  the  enemy's  rifle  pit 
at  this  point,  it  being  considered  unsafe  to  be  any 
longer  supplied  as  an  outpost  to  protect  their 
army. 

Getting  the  Mail. 

There  were  but  few  things  in  the  army  life  of  the 
soldiers  that  he  seemed  to  be  more  interested  than 
in  the  receiving  of  a  letter  from  home.  How  eager- 
ly he  watched  the  old  mule  as  he  put  in  his  long 
strides  with  the  mail  bag  on  his  back  as  he  was 
approaching  where  we  were  in  camp.  The  mailbag 
was  delivered  to  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment  who 
assorted  the  letters  and  assigned  them  to  the  dif- 
ferent companies  of  the  regiment.  Here  the  orderly 
sergeant  of  the  respective  companies  took  them  to 
their  company  for  distribution.  He  usually  stood 
upon  a  box  or  stump  and  called  the  name  of  the 
person  it  was  for.  How  eagerly  they  sprang  for- 
ward to  receive  it,  for  it  was  sometimes  many  weeks 
or  months  even  since  they  had  heard  anything  from 
home  and  it  was  a  feast  of  good  things  to  get  letters 
from  loved  ones  at  home. 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 


177 


The  letters  that  were  received  were  generally 
long  ones  and  filled  with  love  and  sympathy  for  the 
boys  in  blue.  Those  who  received  a  letter  left  the 
sergeant's  quarters  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind, 
while  those"  who  did  not  get  any  were  generally 
much  disappointed.  It  was  an  interesting  sight  to 
see  the  soldiers  reading  their  letters.  Some  would 
be  standing,  others  crouched  upon  the  ground  or 
sitting  on  a  log  or  stump,  anxiously  taking  in  the 
contents.  On  the  faces  of  some  the  expression  of 


ARMY   MAIL   CARRIER. 

joy  and  happiness  was  printed  there,  others  the 
tears  would  roll  down  their  cheeks  for  the  writer 
had  touched  the  tender  chords  of  love  and  sympathy 
that  still  existed  in  the  hearts  of  their  far  away 
friends. 

After  the  letters  had  been  read  the  news  was 
received  from  the  different  localities  of  the  soldiers' 
homes.  Thus  he  was  made  acquainted  with  the 
happenings  in  the  vicinity  where  remained  his 


178  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

greatest  interests.  The  soldiers  would  discuss  with 
a  marked  degree  of  interest  the  various  topics  from 
their  respective  localities  that  they  had  received 
through  the  mail. 

As  newspapers  were  prohibited  being  sent  through 
the  mails  at  the  front,  we  had  no  other  means  of 
hearing  from  the  outside  world. 

Slaves  Bought  and  Sold. 

Advertising  is  the  most  reliable  means  of  making 
the  business  in  which  we  are  engaged  known  to 
those  around  us.  The  American  people  are  great 
for  advertising.  The  most  successful  merchants  are 
the  ones  that  are  profited  by  this  means. 

The  people  of  the  Southern  cities  were  not  back- 
ward in  this  respect  when  slavery  was  having  full 
sway  in  the  South,  and  the  colored  people  were  held 
as  slaves.  Slavery  was  introduced  in  the  early  set- 
tlement of  the  colonies  by  a  Dutch  vessel  that 
brought  twenty  slaves  that  were  sold  to  the  colonists 
in  the  year  1619.  From  that  time  slavery  existed 
until  blotted  out  by  the  Civil  War. 

Thus  the  sign  was  conspicuously  displayed  in 
the  marts  of  trade,  ''Slaves  Bought  and  Sold." 
The  building  upon  which  this  sign  was  placed  very 
much  resembled  a  barn,  with  door  fronting  the 
street.  A  large  block  standing  on  end  in  front  near 
the  edge  of  the  street,  supposed  to  be  the  salesman's 
block,  furnished  the  outlines  of  the  front  of  the 
building.  A  small  yard  that  surrounded  the  build- 
ing on  the  two  sides  and  one  end  was  enclosed  with 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  179 

a  high  plank  fence.  This  is  an  exterior  description 
of  the  business  house  of  the  slave  merchant  as  we 
viewed  it  at  the  time  the  boys  in  blue  were  viewing 
the  sights  and  gaining  their  experience  when  mak- 
ing their  initial  visit  to  some  of  the  slave  states  of 
the  South. 

It  certainly  must  have  been  a  season  of  sorrow 
and  sadness  when  fathers  and  mothers,  sisters  and 
brothers,  parents  and  children  were  auctioned  off 
to  the  highest  bidder  and  separated  perhaps  forever. 
Such  scenes  were  enacted  in  accordance  with  law 
as  it  was  then  interpreted.  But  the  whole  system 
was  changed  when  that  wonderful  emancipation 
proclamation  was  issued  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
lamented  President,  and  was  sanctioned  and  put  in 
execution  through  the  aid  of  the  Union  soldiers. 
African  slavery  with  all  of  its  wrong  and  evil  doing 
was  ended  and  the  colored  slaves  obtained  their 
freedom;  and  the  North  and  the  South  were  des- 
tined to  again  be  as  one,  and  become  a  united  and 
prosperous  people. 

On  the  March. 

On  the  second  day  after  the  final  surrender  we 
started  on  the  way  toward  Washington.  The  roads 
were  wet  and  muddy  and  the  rain  was  still  coming 
slowly  down  with  the  weather  disagreeably  cold  and 
uncomfortable. 

After  going  into  camp  for  the  night  a  wonderfully 
heavy  rain  came  upon  us,  drenching  a  large  portion 
of  the  soldiers  so  they  felt  very  uncomfortable.  The 
mules  haltered  at  the  baggage  wagons  at  night 


180  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

were  continually  moving  in  order  to  exercise  to 
keep  warm.  Their  continual  moving  caused  them 
to  sink  into  the  mud  until  some  of  them  were  unable 
to  stand  or  get  out  of  their  muddy  bed,  so  they  were 
shot  to  end  their  misery. 

We  went  into  camp  at  Farmville,  where  we  re- 
mained a  short  time.  During  our  stay  here  we  were 
kept  busy  fitting  up  our  camp,  digging  up  and  set- 
ting out  trees  in  rows  through  our  camping  ground, 
trying  to  make  it  present  the  appearance  of  a  young 
city.  The  colonel  said  this  was  to  give  us  exercise, 
so  we  would  not  get  homesick.  That  was  a  com- 
plaint very  common  among  the  soldiers  and  several 
died  among  us  from  this  cause,  our  surgeon  saying 
he  could  find  no  other  cause  for  their  sickness. 


FROM   THE   ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC  181 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Assassination  of  Lincoln. 

The  regiment,  in  a  short  time,  made  another 
move  to  Burkville  and  once  more  commenced  orna- 
menting our  camp  grounds.  At  sunrise  each  morn- 
ing we  were  summoned  to  "fall  in"  for  police  duty. 
After  answering  to  roll  call,  we  being  provided  with 
brush  brooms,  swept  over  our  whole  camp  ground. 
This  was  a  duty  we  performed  each  day  while  in 
camp  and  resulted  in  a  neat  and  clean  camping 
ground  that  was  essential  to  the  health  of  the  sol- 
diers while  in  camp. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  of  April 
that  we  received  the  sad  news  of  the  assassination 
of  the  President,  he  having  been  shot  the  evening 
previous  by  John  Wilkes  Booth,  at  Ford's  Theatre, 
and  died  about  seven  o'clock  the  following  morning. 
It  cast  a  deep  shadow  over  the  minds  of  the  people 
of  the  whole  North  and  especially  of  the  members 
of  our  regiment.  For  they  held  in  deep  reverence, 
respect  and  esteem,  the  man  who  had  been  so  in- 
fluential in  the  preservation  of  justice  to  the  people, 
that  the  whole  nation  might  become  a  united  and 
liberty-loving  people. 

The  following  day  services  were  held  and  a  large 
assembly  of  the  "boys  in  blue"  listened  to  an  elo- 
quent address  that  was  listened  to  with  much  inter- 
est as  he  pictured  to  his  hearers  in  glowing  words, 


182  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

the  life  and  character  of  the  highly-esteemed  and 
lamented  Lincoln.  The  Union  Army  had  been 
crowned  with  success,  and  the  nation  could  once 
more  unite  as  a  free  and  independent  people.  In- 
stead of  being  elated  at  this  time  of  general  re- 
joicing, the  whole  North  was  enshrouded  in  the 
deepest  gloom  when  they  learned  the  sad  fate  of 
their  martyred  President.  When  the  news  came 
it  saddened  the  minds  of  the  soldier  boys,  for  they 
held  a  warm  place  in  their  hearts  for  the  great, 
noble-hearted  man  who  had  done  so  much  for  the 
welfare  of  the  people,  and  left  so  much  undone  that 
seemed  to  be  especially  assigned  for  him  to  do. 

Grand  Review  at  Washington. 

After  the  Confederate  forces  had  all  surrendered 
there  was  a  centralization  of  the  different  Federal 
armies  at  Washington.  It  was  a  grand  sight  to  see 
the  troops  from  the  different  sections  of  the  army 
gathered  together  and  march  in  solid  column 
through  the  different  streets  of  Washington  in  a 
grand  review.  Here  were  the  old  veterans  from 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  of  the  Western  army, 
Sherman's  army  that  had  made  that  wonderful 
march  to  the  sea,  Sheridan's  cavalry  that  had  been 
so  conspicuous  in  bringing  about  a  halt  in  the 
Confederate  retreat.  They  were  here  and  formed 
the  grand  army  that  had  brought  about  the  results 
that  were  so  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  nation. 
Although  they  were  in  different  localities  and  acted 
under  different  leaders  they  were  in  unison  in  bring- 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  183 

ing  about  the  same  grand  and  noble  results.  After 
the  terrible  sieges  through  which  they  had  passed 
they  had  met  and  helped  swell  the  remainder  of  the 
grand  army  and  look  upon  each  other  that  they 
might  carry  with  them  to  their  homes  a  picture 
of  the  past. 

After  the  grand  review  our  regiment  remained 
in  camp  near  Washington  for  quite  a  while.  We 
still  went  through  the  exercises  of  the  regular  drill 
just  the  same  as  we  did  previous  to  the  final  sur- 
render of  the  Confederate  forces.  The  soldiers  gen- 
erally, now  that  the  fighting  was  over,  were  more 
anxious  to  go  to  their  homes  than  anything  else. 
They  had  accomplished  the  task  that  was  set  before 
them  and  now  their  interest  was  in  the  direction  of 
their  homes,  attending  to  their  own  farms  and 
brightening  their  own  firesides.  Bancroft 


The  task  of  mustering  out  such  a  large  number 
of  men  was  not  a  small  one.  It  required  time  to 
disband  such  a  large  army  properly,  giving  them 
an  honorable  discharge.  Though  many  of  the  sol- 
diers were  more  or  less  anxious  to  start  toward 
home,  their  only  hope  was  to  have  patience  and 
wait  until  their  turn  came. 

Some  were  so  anxious  and  they  actually  got  so 
homesick  that  they  were  taken  to  the  hospital  and 
died  there.  Such  was  the  fate  of  many  a  poor  fel- 
low who  had  an  affliction  of  this  terrible  malady, 
that  was  so  prevalent  among  the  soldiers. 


184  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC 

Start  for  Louisville. 

Great  anxiety  existed  among  the  soldiers  to  be 
on  the  move  toward  home.  They  were  much  pleased 
when  the  news  came  that  we  were  to  start  for 
Louisville,  for  what  purpose  we  did  not  know.  We 
afterward  learned  that  we  were  scheduled  to  join 
the  fleet  that  was  then  going  South.  Taking  the 
train  at  Washington  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
railroad,  going  by  way  of  Harper's  Ferry  and 
climbing  the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  such  a  height 
we  could  look  down  upon  the  clouds. 

After  arriving  at  Parkersburg  we  were  trans- 
ferred to  steamers  and  sailed  down  the  Ohio  River. 
We  made  a  short  stay  at  Cincinnati  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Louisville,  when  we  found  we  were  too 
late  to  join  the  fleet  going  South.  This  was  good 
news  for  the  soldiers,  for  they  had  no  desire  to  go, 
or  any  anxiety  to  see  more  of  the  South.  We  went 
into  camp  a  few  miles  above  Louisville  near  the 
bank  of  the  Ohio  River.  It  was  a  very  pleasant 
location. 

We  remained  here  several  weeks  before  we  got 
orders  to  go  North  to  be  mustered  out  of  the  ser- 
vice of  Uncle  Sam.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  view 
by  the  side  of  the  river  to  see  the  boats,  steamers 
and  rafts  sailing  by.  One  of  these  large  steamers 
carried  a  large  steam  organ  that  used  to  play  us  a 
tune  whenever  it  passed,  that  was  gladly  received 
and  heartily  welcomed  by  the  soldiers. 

While  here  the  regiment  was  discharged  from 
the  service,  although  it  was  some  two  weeks  before 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  185 

we  got  mustered  out  and  went  to  our  homes. 
While  waiting  here  the  drill  practice  was  still  kept 
up,  although  it  had  become  monotonous. 

Homeward  Bound. 

Soon  the  glad  news  came  that  we  were  to  go 
to  St.  Paul  to  be  mustered  out.  It  was  a  day  of 
gladness  to  the  soldiers  when  they  received  the 
order  to  march  to  the  station  and  board  the  train 
that  was  to  take  them  on  that  long-wished-for  jour- 
ney toward  home.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  journey, 
passing  through  the  states  of  Indiana,  Illinois,  and 
made  a  stop  at  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  where  we 
were  gladly  welcomed  by  the  citizens  of  that  fine 
city.  In  the  large  hall  the  tables  were  all  spread 
laden  with  the  good  things  that  had  been  prepared 
for  the  returned  soldiers,  the  ladies  having  shown 
their  skill  in  preparing  a  grand  reception  that  was 
so  thankfully  received  by  the  comrades.  This  was 
the  first  table  they  had  been  privileged  to  sit  down 
to  for  many  months,  so  it  was  to  them  a  great  treat 
and  was  truly  appreciated  by  the  hungry  guests. 

The  beautiful  Milwaukee  girls  were  truly  capti- 
vating to  the  young  soldiers  and  their  attentions 
seemed  to  be  mutually  agreeable  to  each  other,  they 
having  spent  an  hour  or  more  in  each  other's  com- 
pany and  having  a  nice  social  visit  and  really  en- 
joying themselves.  The  Colonel,  coming  around  and 
noticing  how  things  were  turning  said,  "I  have 
got  to  get  my  regiment  right  out  of  here  or  I  will 
lose  half  of  my  men." 


186  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

Arriving  at  St.  Paul. 

After  we  left  Milwaukee  we  were  soon  trans- 
ferred to  steamers  and  made  rapid  progress  up  the 
"Father  of  Waters,"  passing  several  fine  towns 
along  its  banks.  Taking  the  steamers  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  and  passing  La  Crosse  and  Winona,  fine  towns, 
located  on  the  river  banks,  the  people  greeted  us 
with  wild  expressions  of  joy  upon  our  approach  to 
them,  seeming  to  be  much  elated  that  the  regiment 
was  home  a:gain. 

Along  the  river  beautiful  and  romantic  scenery 
presents  itself  from  either  side.  An  uneven  shore 
interspersed  with  rugged  hills  and  rocks,  some  of 
the  latter  towering  upward  like  lofty  spires.  Near 
Winona  is  a  grand  display  of  these,  starting  upward 
near  the  edge  of  the  Mississippi.  To  one  of  these 
is  given  the  name  of  "Maiden  Rock,"  for  with  it  is 
connected  a  tale  of  love  among  the  rude  aborigines 
of  this  country,  this  being  at  that  time  considered 
among  their  best  and  richest  hunting  grounds. 

A  young  brave  from  a  near  tribe  wished  to  win 
the  hand  of  his  dusky  mate.  His  successful  wooing 
of  the  beautiful  maiden  ripened  into  a  mutual  af- 
fection and  declared  that  henceforth  they  would  live 
for  each  other.  Just  then  a  wonderful  disposition  of 
defiance  was  exhibited  by  the  "old  folks,"  declaring 
that  such  a  thing  should  never  happen.  But  the 
mantle  of  affection  that  had  cemented  two  loving 
hearts  had  been  so  closely  woven  that  parting 
seemed  more  terrible  than  death  itself,  and  life  an 
empty  void.  Accordingly,  she  climbed  up  the  steep 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO  THE  PACIFIC  187 

ascent  of  the  tallest  rock,  scaling  the  crags  and 
crevices  until  she  reached  the  highest  peak,  and 
from  those  dizzy  heights  she  gave  the  fearful  leap 
down  the  terrible  abyss,  landing  on  the  rocks  hun- 
dreds of  feet  below  and  blotting  out  the  young  life 
of  the  beautiful  girl. 

A  beautiful  landscape  presents  itself  as  we  pro- 
ceed up  the  river.  In  looking  forward  we  notice 
a  short  distance  ahead  of  us  a  point  of  land  extend- 
ing into  the  river,  but  the  river  for  many  miles 
takes  a  gradual  curve  and  the  boat  does  not  seem  to 
get  around  the  point.  For  this  reason  it  is  called 
" Point  No  Point."  Passing  through  lake  Pippin, 
which  is  only  a  widening  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
stopping  at  several  of  the  nice  little  towns  along 
the  river  where  we  were  hailed  with  a  hearty  wel- 
come, we  soon  arrived  at  St.  Paul,  where  many 
thousands  of  people  had  assembled  to  meet  the  long 
absent  soldiers  who  were  privileged  once  more  to 
meet  with  loving  friends  and  again  enjoy  the  en- 
dearing surroundings  of  home. 

We  were  greeted  with  a  grand  reception  as  friend 
after  friend  met  after  so  long  an  absence  and  ex- 
pressed their  gratitude  that  their  loved  ones  had  re- 
turned. There  was  a  general  rejoicing  and  a  season 
we  can  never  forget.  Here  were  fathers  and  moth- 
ers, sisters  and  brothers,  that  met  here  to  greet 
their  friends,  but  all  were  not  happy,  for  there  were 
some  here  who  did  not  meet  their  soldier  friend,  for 
he  went  away  and  did  not  return.  Their  eyes  were 


188  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

filled  with  tears  and  their  hearts  with  sorrow  and 
disappointment. 

The  return  of  the  regiment  was  a  season  of  re- 
joicing although  the  hearts  of  many  were  filled  with 
grief  because  the  loved  soldier  had  not  returned. 
After  listening  to  a  fine  address  at  the  State  House 
by  the  Governor,  we  were  invited  to  partake  of  a 
bountiful  dinner  that  was  presided  over  by  the 
ladies  who  so  kindly  welcomed  us  to  our  home  state. 

We  then  went  to  a  camping  ground  near  the  city. 
After  a  few  days  in  camp  we  were  mustered  out 
and  went  to  our  various  homes  where  anxious 
friends  were  awaiting  to  receive  us,  and  we  were 
again  in  the  loving  embrace  of  family,  friends  and 
home. 

Conclusion:    Is  there  a  God,  Heaven  or  Eternity? 

These  are  questions  that  often  come  to  the  minds 
of  the  different  persons  who  meet  as  we  travel 
along  life's  pathway.  There  are  persons  who  say 
there  is  no  God.  When  we  look  at  the  beauties 
of  nature  with  all  its  wonderful  attractions  on  the 
earth  and  in  the  heavens  we  cannot  see  how 
they  can  substantiate  such  a  belief,  or  resist  the 
charms  that  ever  surround  them  in  their  daily  walks 
along  the  pathway  of  life. 

We  note  the  starry  heavens  and  the  wonderful 
rotation  of  its  numerous  planets,  the  sunshine,  the 
gentle  raindrop,  the  balmy  breeze,  the  fierce  storm, 
the  rustling  leaf,  the  joyous  songsters  pouring  forth 
their  notes  of  joy,  the  beautiful  flowers  that  line 


FROM   THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC  189 

our  pathway.     Is  there  reason  for  doubting  that 
there  is  a  Supreme  Ruler  who  governs  all  things? 

"In  the  thunder,  In  the  rain, 
In  the  grove,  the  woods,  the  plain, 
In  the  little  birds  that  sing, 
God  is  seen  in  every  thing." 

"In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  the  beasts  of  the  field,  fowls  of  the  air 
and  fishes  of  the  sea. 

"Then  was  created  man  formed  after  His  own 
image  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  breathing  into 
his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life  he  became  a  living  soul 
and  gave  him  dominion  over  all  the  creatures  He 
had  made." 

On  account  of  his  superior  intelligence  and  having 
a  living  soul  the  immortal  part  of  mankind  never 
dies  but  liveth  forever.  Now  the  persons  who  truly 
believe  that  they  have  no  living  soul,  do  they  not 
place  themselves  in  the  same  category  with  the 
beasts  of  the  field,  while  they  are  held  responsible 
for  their  superiority  over  the  animal  kingdom?  Are 
men  satisfied  to  die  as  the  beast  dieth?  If  a  man 
die,  shall  he  live  again?  Is  there  a  future  state  of 
existence?  The  greater  portion  of  the  world  be- 
lieves that  there  is.  Even  those  nations  who  were 
uncivilized  believed  in  a  future  state  of  existence. 
The  aborigines  of  this  country  believed  this  and 
made  preparation  for  their  departed  friends  that 
they  might  enjoy  the  future  life  by  burying  with 
them  their  implements  of  the  chase  that  they  needed 


190  FROM   THE  ATLANTIC   TO   THE  PACIFIC 

in  the  Happy  Hunting  Grounds  in  the  land  of  the 
Great  Spirit. 

The  Bible,  the  Book  of  Books,  reveals  to  us  in 
unmistakable  terms  the  past,  the  present  and  the 
future.  Shall  we  spurn  the  teachings  of  this  won- 
derful book  that  has  carried  joy,  peace  and  happi- 
ness to  so  many  homes  ?  Its  enemies  may  try  to  an- 
nihilate it  and  exclude  it  from  the  reach  of  man- 
kind, but  still  it  rushes  onward,  pioneering  its  path- 
way into  the  darkest  portions  of  the  earth,  carrying 
with  it  the  sunshine  of  God 's  love.  It  brings  civiliza- 
tion wherever  it  goes.  Barbarism  is  blotted  out, 
and  all  the  endearments  of  a  joyous,  happy  life  are 
strewn  along  its  pathway. 

Christianity  carries  the  royal  banner  all  along 
this  life  and  also  to  that  li£e  which  is  to  come.  The 
happiest  people  in  the  world  today  are  those  who 
follow  the  teachings  of  the  Savior.  If  we  were  to 
blot  out  the  influence  of  these  teachings  would  it 
not  in  reality  bring  the  gloomiest  shadows  and  ob- 
literate the  light  of  the  world? 

We  will  soon  all  be  called  upon  to  try  the  realities 
of  the  mysterious  future.  If  there  is  a  heaven  to 
gain  or  a  hell  to  shun,  is  it  not  for  our  interest  to 
get  into  the  glorious  sunshine  of  God's  love  and 
secure  a  home  in  that  haven  of  eternal  rest  where 
we  may  spend  an  eternity  with  Christ  and  the  re- 
deemed loved  ones  in  heaven? 

"Hope  on,  hope  ever,  to  the  end; 
Choose  Christ  the  Savior  for  your  friend." 


